A new free-to-visit gallery that looks at our relationship with the natural world opened this week at the National History Museum in London.
Fixing Our Broken Planet, the first new gallery to open at the Museum in almost a decade, explores the biggest challenges to the health of the planet, as well as to our own health, and reveal science-backed solutions from nature that will help us to create a more sustainable world.
Visitors to the gallery will journey through four zones – energy, health, materials and food – getting up close to objects from across the Museum’s collection chosen by scientists to tell the story of our impact on the natural world and how we can play a part in protecting its future.
Each object reveals an important story on our relationship with nature; like the bird nest entwined with discarded plastic showing how our behaviour is impacting bird populations, to the fauna found 5,000m below the Pacific Ocean in an area targeted for deep-sea mining and the parasitic worms that impact the health of 1.5 billion people – a figure thought to be on the rise due to climate change.
Alex Burch, Director of Public Programmes, at the Natural History Museum, says: “We’re incredibly proud that our collections and research are providing solutions to the planetary emergency. This gallery is designed to spark hope and action. We want visitors to leave inspired, understanding that solutions exist and that each of us has a role to play in restoring our planet.”
The gallery has been made with community at its heart. Throughout, visitors will come across scientifically backed stats designed to be shared, like the fact that making dark chocolate produces more greenhouse gas emissions than cheese and chicken combined, and that 80% of all plastic ever made still exists in our environment – and has even found its way to Mount Everest.
Conversations between scientists and environmentalists on topics such as the UK biodiversity decline play in film booths offering different viewpoints and lived experiences while the conversation space encourages visitors to share their views on the planetary emergency and see how their responses compare with other visitors.
For audiences at home, the gallery’s complementary online tool, Find Your Climate Action, creates personalised ways to contribute to a healthier planet that also benefits the individual and their community.
The stunning original architecture is visible throughout, owing to the Museum’s commitment to use the “build light and build wise” when reimagining the space.
The Fixing Our Broken Planet gallery is in the original 1881 Waterhouse building and required full restoration. The transformation revived its original Victorian features while using sustainable materials and methods to bring the space back into public use. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport’s Public Bodies Infrastructure Fund (PBIF) awarded the Museum with significant funding to rebuild the gallery whilst retaining its heritage and charm.
A wide variety of trusts, foundations, companies and individuals are supporting the Fixing Our Broken Planet gallery and programme including Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), part of UK Research and Innovation, Wellcome, GSK and Ørsted.
Alan Dangour, Director of Climate and Health at Wellcome, says:
“As our climate changes we are seeing increasing evidence of how these changes are affecting our health and wellbeing. Innovative partnerships between scientific researchers, affected communities and creatives are emerging around the world to respond to this challenge and protect both people and planet.
“This exciting partnership brings together scientists researching the unique collections in the Natural History Museum with creative storytelling, raising awareness of this urgent issue and providing inspiration for action.
We hope Fixing Our Broken Planet will be a powerful space that will spark a passion in each visitor for a healthier future for everyone.”
Visitors should book a free ticket in advance online for guaranteed entry to the Museum. Members, Patrons and Corporate Supporters have priority access and do not need to book general admission or exhibition tickets.
For more details and tickets click here.
Image: Entrance of the new gallery, Fixing Our Broken Planet © Trustees of the Natural History Museum, London
