UNIVALI Ecomuseum
“This partnership is a successful formula. What the island presented as attributes was something that counted positively. From then on, the University made an effort to make the results as better as possible. I have no doubt that the Univali Ecomuseum, on Porto Belo Island, will serve as model for the State, because of its proposal and the quality of the project .”
Jules Soto, responsable of the Univali Ecomuseum.
Imagem de Porto, fev/2004
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The ascension of the stairs that access the Univali Ecomuseum, reveals a gigantic surprise for the more distracted, a Bryde´s whale skeleton, a unique example of the specie set up in Brazil, 13 meters long, and also a false killer whale of 6 meters approximately.
The position of the skeletons simulates the natural movement in the ocean. On the contrary, as in most other museums, the skeletons can be observed from a desk above.
The Univali Ecomuseum, on Porto Belo Island, is an extension of the Valle de Itajaí Oceanografic Museum, and also, a result of a well consolidated partnership between Porto Belo Island and Valle de Itajaí University – UNIVALI.
With a dynamic proposal, it catches the attention of the visitant, as it offers to the freedom of interacting with the expositions. As a house of knowledge, the Univali Ecomuseum also is an extension of the classroom for the students of any level, through its own educational program and the participation of the Environmental Experience.
Surprises, discoveries and a lot of knowledge!
The main room has the first exposition of mega fauna of the south of Brazil. Part of the project “Giants of the Past”, the exhibition assembles mammals fossils, like a saber-tooth-tiger, that occurred in the region during the ice era.
From that room, the visitants chose where to continue. Strategic points of the Ecomuseum have the principal themes of the exhibitions. Going along the corridor where it is exposed the history of Porto Belo Island by photo-subtitles; the visitant can observe the turtle’s room, the naturalist lab and the cetaceans’ room.
The exhibition of marine turtles is one of the main topics of the Univali Ecomuseum. This place enchants for its complete details, the visitant can verify the cycle birth of the specie, from the eggs up to the walk to the sea. Everything is carefully set up inside an exposition box. On the wall, there are turtle’s shells that appear in Brazil, and also giant leather turtle shell. All the exhibitors have specific information about the examples exposed.
The trip through the time continues with the “naturalist cabinet”. A reproduction of a lab decorated like in 40s decade, and homage to Dr. Carlos Nicolau Goffergé.
Considering that the new technologies turned the researchers in natural history more and more specialized, this cabinet revels the details of period when those researchers were generalists. Collections of insects, chemicals used in that time, lab glasses, species of birds, reptiles and fishes – among other animals -, books and instruments compose the environment, proportioning the special sensation of discoveries to the visitant.
In the Univali Ecomuseum the visitant discovers, surprises and breaths knowledge, comfortably. It is a structured built under the more modern conception of museums.
The Univali Ecomuseu is open to the public from September to March.
