By Robbie Mitchell
Last month, Sarah, Jenni, Toss and I travelled to Rockhampton to teach Rail CRC students how to present science.
While we were in town, we decided to drop in at the Fitzroy Basin Association’s Visitor Centre exhibit, FLOW.
Sarah and I had worked with Mary in 2011-12 to develop an interpretive strategy, concepts and exhibits based on the Fitzroy Basin, Australia’s second-biggest river basin.
This was the first time we had seen the final product.
The panels were vibrant and bold, with plenty of images that complemented the text we wrote.
There were 4 small screens, embedded into the panels, playing short videos of local farmers, residents and researchers telling their stories about the Fitzroy Basin, .
I looked through a hole in one panel and watched a slide show of birds found in the Basin, as if IÂ were bird-watching through binoculars.
For me, the 3Â most exciting parts of FLOWÂ to see in person were:
- the interactive map of the Basin
- the hear-a-story-tell-a-story booth
- the kids’ corner.
The interactive map is a touch-screen table where you can select and learn about natural resources and commodities produced in the Basin.
The graphics and animations are clean and the table allows for a large group of people to stand around and interact with the map.
At the hear-a-story-tell-a-story booth, you can listen to a selection of past visitors experiences/stories about the Basin.
You can also record and share your own 1-minute story.
In the kids’ corner, kids can colour in outlines of native animals, or play a game of snakes and ladders using giant dice.
We adapted the traditional snakes-and-ladders game to communicate how fish ladders can help fish swim upstream to breed.
            
             
If you’re ever in Rockhampton, check out FLOW to learn what goes on in Australia’s second-biggest river basin.