Just a quick note to let you know about The National Poo Museum on the Isle of Wight!
We set it up 2 years ago essentially as an ecology engagement project – wildlife tracks and signs etc. and it has kept that focus but grown into a human health and wellbeing message – human ecology essentially. It is especially fascinating to draw the parallels between the conservation and management of the gut microbiome and the conservation and management of external macro habitats – rare species, resilient communities, succession, abundance and richness – it’s all there! And when you connect the two physically (helpfully contaminated surfaces) and psychologically (effects on outlook and perspective of microbiome on the one hand and natural world encounter on the other…) it gets even more interesting!
We’re developing the project to build links with organizations and institutions looking to disseminate research and find new ways to break taboos and reach a public audience, and a part of this work is to move the museum into a permanent home – a disused Palmerston Fort on the seacliffs at Sandown – very dramatic but lots to do!
Of course we have a tiny budget and so there’s the inevitable crowdfunder and you can find it here… https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/poomuseum you can also find out more about the museum and its adventures on twitter @PooMuseum. Please do let anyone know if you think they might be interested, both by donating (which would be marvellous) and/or exploring possible collaborations, and of course that goes for you too!
Ian
#BrumSciComm 