Celebrating Cornwall Museum & Art Gallery’s new Nature Gallery
Encircled by a rugged coastline, Cornwall is a haven for woodlands, wildlife, and us, humans. We’ll be discussing the abundance of stunning landscapes and richness in biodiversity. We’ll be asking how is the Cornish ecosystem changing?
Cornwall Museum is exploring these themes in its new, re-imagined Nature Gallery in the heart of Truro. The Nature Gallery is just one area of Cornwall Museum that has been redesigned for interactive learning and showcases the county’s wildlife and landscapes.
To take a look at our climate through a Cornish lens, we have invited local nature writer Sophie Pavelle and climate researcher Dr. Mark Wilson from the University of Bath. We will hear about how species around us are adapting and building resilience. We will also reflect on our very own relationship with Cornwall’s special natural environment and whether our behaviours can make a difference in a troubled global landscape.
We will hear from our speakers before opening up the conversation to your comments and questions. Sophie will be available to sign copies of her book Forget Me Not ahead of the event.
One of the museum’s opening exhibition is Kurt Jackson’s Biodiversity, which will form the backdrop for the discussion. With his paintings, sculptures, and mixed media works, Jackson opens windows onto different locations across the UK and explores the spectrum of plant and animal life found.
Everyone will have the opportunity to explore the gallery in depth as well as see the rest of the museum, which reopened on 1st March following a £2.3m investment from Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Good Growth Programme via the UK Government’s Shared Prosperity Fund.
Accessibility: To plan ahead, you can find the museum’s accessibility guide here (be sure to scroll down). There is a ramp to the entrance and a lift to Chapel Gallery on the first floor.
Speakers
Sophie Pavelle
Sophie Pavelle is a Devon-based science communicator. After gaining a First in Zoology (BSc) at the University of Bristol she studied a Masters (MSc) in Science Communication at the University of the West of England, gaining a Distinction. Her dissertation ‘Into the Digital Wild:’ is academically published in Frontiers in Communication (2020).
Sophie’s debut book ‘Forget Me Not: finding the forgotten species of climate-change Britain’, was published by Bloomsbury in 2022 and won The People’s Book Prize for Non-Fiction (2023) and was longlisted for the 2023 James Cropper Wainwright Prize for Conservation Writing. She worked for conservation charity Beaver Trust for four years, presenting their award-winning documentary ‘Beavers Without Borders’ (2020). Sophie scripted and narrated the award-winning documentary ‘Recovering The Rainforest’ (2024) for The Woodland Trust, as well as co-hosting the popular climate-action, nature and sustainability podcast ‘For What It’s Earth.’
She currently is an Ambassador for the Wildlife Trusts and sat on the RSPB England Advisory Committee. Sophie is a Trustee for UNESCO Exeter City of Literature. Her writing appears in New Scientist, National Geographic Traveller, The Guardian, the Independent and others. Her second book with Bloomsbury ‘To Have or To Hold: nature’s hidden relationships’ is published in May 2025.
Mark Wilson
Research Associate
Centre for Climate Change and Social Transformations
University of Bath
Dr Mark Wilson is based at the University of Bath. He collaborates with local authorities and voluntary sector organisations to understand public perceptions and encourage low carbon behaviours in different areas of daily life, particularly at the individual and organisational levels. He is currently working with Cornwall Council to explore residents’ and employees’ readiness to adopt active modes of travel. His research also considers the social prescribing model as a way of encouraging pro-environmental behaviours among target social groups. He has a strong interest in sustainable food systems, diet, and policy interventions to reduce carbon emissions and provide health co-benefits. For more information, including Mark’s research outputs, view his University of Bath profile.
Ali Vowles
Broadcaster and Journalist
Ali Vowles is a multi-skilled freelance broadcast journalist, presenter and facilitator who has worked for the BBC for over 30 years. She now works in the commercial world hosting events and conferences for a variety of clients including universities, charities and businesses. Ali is known for her natural rapport with audiences and interviewees.