The key mission of the Museum of Applied Environmental Research is to popularize the results produced by natural science specialists from KarRC RAS and to raise public environmental awareness.

In particular, the Museum will exhibit the objects of research – specimens from entomological, ornithological, ichthyological, dendrological, herbarium and other collections of the Centre’s institutes.

– Natural science research has been carried out at KarRC RAS since its foundation, so the Museum will also feature historical exhibits, such as equipment, tools, posters – the Project Manager, Leading Specialist at KarRC RAS Department for International Cooperation Alexandra Smirnova told.

At the same time, much attention will be given to modern technologies, multimedia, and interactive features. There will be videos about scientists’ fieldwork, footage from nature cameras deployed in protected areas, underwater footage. Visitors will get a chance to examine the samples that research work with under a microscope, to touch the research objects, and to manipulate tools and equipment.

More than a half of the planned activities for creating the museum have been completed: the concept in getting realized, spaces are ready, much of the material has been gathered, some exhibition sections have been assembled and installed.

The museum will also serve as a venue for academic activities, including career guidance, for schoolchildren, college and university students. This work has already started, even before the museum opening. On June 15th KarRC RAS was visited by students of the Zoology and Ecology Department of the Institute of Biology, Ecology and Agricultural Technologies (Petrozavodsk State University) and their professor Konstantin Basalaev as part of practical training. First-year students were offered a lecture by the Secretary for Science of the Forest Research Institute KarRC RAS Nadezhda Nikolaeva. She told about the tree species growing in Karelia and demonstrated the Abnormal Wood Collection. After the students had been guided around the exhibition sections of the future museum, a brain storm tool place: ecologists-to-be shared their impressions and made proposals on the content to be added to the museum. It was proposed, for instance, to add multimedia with bird voices to the ornithology section, to modify the tour structure and to add new elements.

KarRC RAS Museum of Applied Environmental Research is being created in collaboration with the North-Centre Association with funding from the Russian presidential grant for the development of the civil society. The museum opening is scheduled for September 2022.