We were thrilled to work with the Devon Wildlife Trust, and their partners the Dartmoor National Park Authority, the Friends of Dartmoor and the Duchy of Cornwall to create a unique working model of the National Park!

Magnificent Mires Slice of Dartmoor Model

 

'A Slice of Dartmoor' was a special interpretative model commissioned for the Magnificent Mires project. The front part allows live demonstrations to show how a healthy bog soaks up rain and storm-water to help protect lower lying land from floods. Behind this, a realistic landscaped model captures some of Dartmoor's iconic features like tors and upland pools and puts the diversity of its bogs into context.  It also shows the damage that erosion can cause to precious peatland habitat. The unit is completed by a large panel featuring colourful Dartmoor species.

habitats

Some of the challenges met during the commission included:

  • Finding a suitable material to simulate peat in its absorbency, texture and appearance.
  • Simulating the thin layer of vegetation on a bog that helps trap rainwater.
  • Making the large display model portable.

close up

Our final solution was to make the base of the unit also serve as safe storage for the model and to have retracting wheels and a fold-out handle for easier transport. Here's NWE's official Eco-Labrador, Luna, testing out the portability of the base unit:

Luna the labrador tests the base unit