Climate Stories Gallery

In the run-up to our Climate Modelling-themed pop-up in March 2022, we opened an online gallery to collect your photos, videos and sounds related to four themes.

The entries were shown on a reel in the pop-up’s chill-out zone and enjoyed by over 1200 visitors to our pop-up exhibition at Maketank.

View the exhibitions

Climate Stories Gallery: All Exhibitions

Your climate stories

Your vision of a positive future

Resolutions for change

What makes Earth special?

Your climate stories

Image: Flood relief channel, Exeter, April 2012 (taken by Natalie)

In November 2021, the UK hosted the UN’s COP26 Climate Change Conference. Although it was a great platform for world leaders, climate experts and activists, we wanted to hear your thoughts and feelings about climate change. View the contributions below!

Jenya, Dartmoor: ‘Sea Space’ – This picture is to represent the moving of the sand through the elements of water and wind

@ExeterMedCPD: ‘One Chance Left’ – This submission is the cover art from the University of Exeter Green Futures team’s ‘One Chance Left’ poetry project, highlighting links between the climate crisis and human health. Go to: greenfutures.exeter.ac.uk/one-chance-left/ to find out more. Add your voices after you’ve had a chance to enjoy the poetry: www.menti.com/hkhbtjt8ry/0
This submission is the cover art from the University of Exeter Green Futures team's 'One Chance Left' poetry project, highlighting links between the climate crisis and human health. Go to: greenfutures....

Maggi, Devon: ‘Roads not Taken … due to Climate Change’ – Climate Change means I can no longer count on a daily bike ride around Dolbury Hill and along the River Culm. More and more often, flooding spreads a wet blanket over my usual cycle route: it’s the new ab-normal. In this photo from 21 October 2021, we see the highest flood levels seen on this road in living memory.

Natalie, Exeter (@NataliePhysics): ‘Flood Relief Channel, Exeter, April 2012’ – The flood relief channel filling up – the footpath beside the (usual) water level is completely covered. This was quite an unusual year for rainfall and flooding.
The flood relief channel filling up - the footpath beside the (usual) water level is completely covered. This was quite an unusual year for rainfall and flooding.

Jan, Somerset: ‘Flooded Village, July 2012’ – Flood in our village in Somerset. The distant height measure is at 3ft – this is normally an (empty) ford across a shallow stream.
Flood in our village in Somerset. The distant height measure is at 3ft - this is normally an (empty) ford across a shallow stream.

Jake, Cornwall (@jakeboexceramics): ‘Sea Shells and Climate Change’ – 1000 years of climate change, 1000 bowls blue to red, cool to warm.
1000 years of climate change, 1000 bowls blue to red, cool to warm.

Your vision of a positive future

Image: Lucas Sandor on Unsplash

What do you envisage as part of a positive future? More trees? More people walking and cycling? Check out the contributions below!

Pop-up doodle table March 19th 2022
The visitors to our pop-up exhibition were encouraged to doodle on our chalk table each day on different themes.

Pop-up doodle table March 14th 2022
The visitors to our pop-up exhibition were encouraged to doodle on our chalk table each day on different themes.

Pop-up doodle table March 12th 2022
The visitors to our pop-up exhibition were encouraged to doodle on our chalk table each day on different themes.

Ella-Grace and Amelie, West Exe School: ‘Climate change: A vision for the future’ – This is a poster showing a utopia and dystopia, showing what would happen if we did or didn’t act on climate change now.

Alexandra, Exeter: ‘Effortless compassion’ – This photo-for me-outlines simplistic, natural beauty that every living thing is created with, from birth. My vision, for this planet and all its inhabitants; from ants to trees, rocks to man, to go back to basics and appreciate the priceless little things again, and not need more in our days. To devote wholeheartedly to all around us and have nothing else to do but live.

Jessica, Barnstaple (Instagram: @jetdanielson): ‘Changing the way we shop’ – The reduction in single use plastics needs to be driven by policy change- let’s hope all supermarkets look like this in future!
The reduction in single use plastics needs to be driven by policy change- let’s hope all supermarkets look like this in future!

Bea, Barnstaple: ‘Flower buildings’ – Bea, aged 4 has drawn a building covered in flowers! She loves the idea of flowers growing on walls and roofs. It’s surrounded by a meadow.
Bea, aged 4 has drawn a building covered in flowers! She loves the idea of flowers growing on walls and roofs. It's surrounded by a meadow.

Emma, Exeter (Twitter:@EmmaTWelton): ‘A Christmas Day Sound Walk’ – On 25th December I made this walk with my family. It’s our usual route, and was made extra-special on Christmas Day because of the muting of Exeter’s usual transport noise. People, animals, birds and the wind and the river are to the fore in this musical mix. Like in the quiet of the spring 2020 lockdown, moments like these allow us to glimpse how our city’s music will change as we adapt our lives away from fossil fuels and free our senses from noise pollution.
On 25th December I made this walk with my family. It's our usual route, and was made extra-special on Christmas Day because of the muting of Exeter's usual transport noise. People, animals, birds and the wind and the river are to the fore in this musical mix....

Emma, Exeter (Twitter:@EmmaTWelton): ‘A December Sound Walk in Exeter – TREE to TREE (December)’ – In December last year I composed this Sound Walk from a Tree near my house to one on Exeter University’s campus. I’m going to walk it again this weekend to find out what is sounding, now. Although this particular Sound Walk doesn’t speak of the future, I think attending to the truth of the sound in our habitat reveals the values of our society. I like to imagine how the sounds of this walk will quickly evolve, as we change the way we live. We can think of it as a huge collective composition. Which sounds will change? Will we chop down the trees and remove that sound? Or will we reduce the traffic and allow the trees and the birds their fullest voice? More Exeter Sound Walks at emmawelton.net.
In December last year I composed this Sound Walk from a Tree near my house to one on Exeter University's campus. I'm going to walk it again this weekend to find out what is sounding, now. Although this particular Sound Walk doesn't speak of the future, I think attending to the truth of the sound in our habitat reveals the values of our society....

Chantelle, Totnes (Twitter: @Foodincommun, FB: @FoodinCommunityCIC & Insta: @foodincommunity): ‘Healthy soils’ – Imagine if all of our food was grown to agroecological principles. As well as providing good nutrition for citizens, the soil on all farms would be healthy. Imagine soils that are more resistant to extreme weather events, that are teeming with life and with maximized carbon sequestering capacity.
Imagine if all of our food was grown to agroecological principles. As well as providing good nutrition for citizens, the soil on all farms would be healthy. Imagine soils that are more resistant to extreme weather events, that are teeming with life and with maximized carbon sequestering capacity....

Penny, Exeter: ‘More wildflowers please!’ – Loved to see the wildflower verges along the roads on our estate. So many people were taking pictures as they walked past, it’s so much nicer than grass that needs mowing all the time. I’d love to see this everywhere in future!
Loved to see the wildflower verges along the roads on our estate. So many people were taking pictures as they walked past, it's so much nicer than grass that needs mowing all the time. I'd love to see this everywhere in future!

Resolutions for change

Image: Shane Rounce on Unsplash

What positive changes are you making for the climate this year? Will you leave a patch of your garden to grow wild, or cut down on using the car? Check out our ideas, and the suggestions by visitors to our pop-up, in the contributions below.