6 March 2024

Join WonderDomes for an activity exploring the world of plants, through play and creativity
Discover the life of Marianne North, ‘intrepid explorer’, activist and artist.

Friday 12th April 11-4pm
Free to take part and no booking required
Times 11am, 1pm, 3pm
All ages welcome but must be accompanied by an adult.
Funded by Heritage Lottery and Dorset council.

Wonderdomes is an interactive, outdoor activity that invites people all ages and abilities to explore the world of plants, through play and creativity.

Guided by friendly, knowledgeable hosts, visitors choose their own pathways through an open-ended, botanical treasure hunt that includes story-telling, drawing, painting and nature connection.

Twelve, beautifully crafted, knee-high, display domes are strategically placed throughout a public garden. Each contains intriguing artefacts, plant life or miniature scenes that invite the public to come closer, observe deeply and make field notes. Following their own curiosity and imagination, audiences uncover the astonishing details of local and exotic plants and experience the stories and wisdom of naturalists through the ages.

A sense of awe and respect for the natural world is at the heart of this offering, created by award winning storyteller, Michele O’Brian, with artist Teresa Grimaldi and outdoor arts specialist, and co-founder of Playing Out, Amy Rose.

Wonderdomes is inspired by the life of Victorian botanical artist and plant biologist Marianne North. North was known for her vivid oil paintings of plants from across the globe, which, unlike others of her time, she painted in their natural environments. An ‘intrepid explorer’, North was sensitive to the dangers of removing plants from their habitats. She exchanged letters with Darwin, who shared her concern about environmental conservation.

Her legacy is one of resilience and passion; she invites respectful immersion in the natural world, not only for knowledge, but for emotional and physical wellbeing.