Global Systems & Cycles

Big Wood: 300 Years of Photosynthesis

Developed by artist Michael Brown in collaboration with reclaimed wood specialist Evan Shively, a several-hundred-year-old Douglas fir was split down the center to reveal its rings, immersing visitors in a fascinating study of dendrochronology.

Where: Gallery 4: Living Systems

Research Buoy

This NOAA buoy gathers data on CO₂ levels, which are increasing in our oceans and affecting marine life.

Where: Gallery 5: Outdoor Exhibits

Solar Hour Benches

The Solar Hour Benches are a set of six oval benches, each with a slit aperture aligned with the sun for one particular hour: 10:00 a.m., 11:00 a.m., noon, 1:00 p.m., 2:00 p.m. or 3:00 p.m. solar time. Throughout the year, for only twenty minutes before and after the corresponding hour, sunlight travels through the aperture and projects onto inscriptions on the ground. Scientific and cultural aspects of time and sundials are also depicted on each bench.

Where: Fisher Bay Observatory Gallery 6: Observing Landscapes

Time Shift

A visual work that allows viewers to browse and select from an archive of time-lapse sequences that reveal human and natural processes at work in the local landscape.