The Ark Nature Centre

Under the auspices of the Satakunta Museum, Luontotalo Arkki (the Ark Nature Centre) exhibits the unique wetlands of Satakunta. The centre offers experiences to both the man of the street and the ardent nature lover and distributes information about the nature and the state of the environment in the Satakunta.

The foundation of a natural history section of the Satakunta regional history museum dates back to the beginning of the 1970s, on the initiative of many associations. At the beginning of the 1990s, the local telephone company Pori Puhelin moved to new premises, leaving behind a beautiful, old building in some disrepair right in the heart of the town. The mid-1990s witnessed a drive to convert the building into the long sought-after natural history museum. The building underwent complete refurbishment and was transformed into the impressive and light premises of the Ark Nature Centre. Pori now has a suitable venue for nature exhibitions, local groups, and lectures.

The Ark is not a traditional cavalcade of display cabinets featuring stuffed birds and pinned insects. On the contrary, the nature experiences in the exhibition are created by light, sound and hands-on activities. The brackish and fresh water aquariums with their water species, a murmuring brook and red-throated diver pond bring the landscape to life. Children can climb and explore Kallo lighthouse and pilot station. Everybody can climb up to the top of the bird tower to spot migratory birds feeding in the depths of the reeds. Watch the fisherman arrive at the home harbour from the Baltic herring nets.

The exhibition highlights the characteristics of local nature in Satakunta. The flat uplifted coastline, the Kokemäenjoki delta, the abundant peat bogs together form the diversity that is the wetlands of the region.

The Ark also has a special exhibitions hall, butterfly and conference room, lecture theatre, and café. Schoolchildren and other groups are given talks in the lecture theatre and they can watch a multivision-show composed of local photographer Seppo Keränen’s photos of the Kokemäenjoki delta. The butterfly room displays local resident Mr Viljo Lauro’s “Butterflies of Satakunta” collection. After touring the exhibition, enjoy a refreshing cup of coffee in the café, where everyone is welcome.