Studying the Past to Help Shape the Future – Interpreting Climate Change at the Washakie Museum
Imagine interpreting global warming 55 million years ago, and what it might tell us about our own future today. That’s a challenge we faced while working on The Ancient Basin exhibit at the Washakie Museum in Wyoming’s Big Horn Basin.
The Basin is at the geographical center of research on climate change during a highly significant period called the PETM (paleocene eocene thermal maximum).
Here’s a brief introduction of the science and significance:
During the age of the Paleocene / Eocene, our entire planet warmed, much like we’re seeing today (to be sure, the earth has warmed and cooled many times, so that’s nothing new). So what’s significant about the PETM? The duration and amount of warming could be VERY similar to what many scientists are currently predicting for the future. The PETM saw rapid rises in C02, temperature, and sea level, along with corresponding extinctions and changing distributions of plants and animals.
To communicate this story, ECOS used fossil specimens of mammals, dinosaurs and plants found within the Big Horn Basin, making side-by-side comparisons showing how life changed. Large, immersive murals recreate the landscapes before and after the PETM. We even considered increasing ambient temperature in the exhibit gallery, but this yielded to fears of having a climate change exhibit that adds to global warming!
The most powerful exhibit experience flows from the passionate voice of scientists actively uncovering this story in the Basin. ECOS developed the following video (with the outstanding video help of Boston Productions, Inc.) to help bring the story to life:
The use of video in the exhibit complements our strategy of layered exhibitry, where content is delivered in multiple ways, with multiple entry points. Various interpretive methods deliver a core message: the past can be studied to help shape the future. Our overall intent is to give visitors the tools to build their own take-away impression of this complex, often controversial topic.
PETM Exhibit at the Washakie Museum
