Permanent Exhibition: From Forest to the Sea

The permanent exhibition “From Forests to the Sea” at The Ark Nature Centre showcases the nature of Satakunta, including its animals and plants. Along the Kokemäenjoki River, there are many ecologically significant sites. The river eventually forms a delta that opens into the sea near Pori.

The delta area is particularly known for its diverse birdlife. On the shores of the Bothnian Sea, land uplift continuously shapes the landscape. Coastal meadows transform into sea buckthorn thickets and eventually into alder groves.

In the region’s forests, you can find bears, lynxes, and wolves, as well as the rarer wolverines. In the exhibition, you might even encounter the curious and alert gaze of a large predator! You can climb a miniature lighthouse, observe views from a birdwatching tower, balance on boardwalks, and crawl into a bear’s den if you dare.

The permanent exhibition received a new look during renovations completed in December 2024. During the renovation, new species were added to the exhibition: in the streamside grove, you can spot a kingfisher looking for prey, and in the alder grove, a young European hare hiding.

Yyteri has its own section in the exhibition: it features typical plants and animals of Yyteri, like the lyme grass that binds sand in the dunes and common ringed plover that stops in Yyteri during its migration. A video allows visitors to explore Yyteri in different seasons.

You can explore the “From Forests to the Sea” exhibition and the changing exhibitions at The Ark Nature Centre independently with an exhibition brochure or by booking a guided tour. The exhibition texts are available in both Finnish and English.