The Hub

If you go up to our big panorama window and look out over the Quarry you can study the printed picture before you at the same time. For each theme we have chosen to point our three features. For Biology, Arvidssons in Fjärås who are Sweden’s biggest azalea growers; the grey-backed mining bee (Andrena vaga) that thrives in sand, gravel and clay; and the bee-killer wasp (Philanthus triangulum), a pollinator where the females catch honeybees to feed to their larvae. The three features for Cultural History are: the Water Protection Area, that supplies all the inhabitants of Kungsbacka with fresh water; Fjärås Church, that dates back to the middle ages; and the Ridge Path, the natural land bridge, that could possibly be called Sweden’s first highway. For Geology, finally, the following are pointed out: clay, a soil material that consists of very small particles of clay and dams the water from Lake Lygnern; sand, which there is plenty of in the Quarry; and – of course – the Bräckan ridge, the characteristic geological formation created towards the end of the last glaciation period.

We have chosen to call the slide show on the big screen “Threat and Hope”. You can see beautiful pictures from the surrounding countryside and read some of the things that have been said both about the threats we face, not only here in Fjärås Bräcka, and about the hopes and opportunities before us. The extracts are from the three articles to the left of the big screen. In the first of these articles the geologist Tore Påsse writes about the major changes occurring over long time cycles, with focus on glaciation periods and sea level curves. The biologist and environmentalist Stefan Edman writes in the second article about how the landscape has changed over time, the significance of biological diversity, and how “wonder and understanding” are the keys to a strong commitment to our common landscape. In the third and final article Pelle Boberg and Timo Persson, both employed by The Swedish Environmental Protection Agency, emphasize how important it is that we all quickly address the climate threats we face. Time is short and their message is clear: “We can’t afford to take chances!”

In the middle of the room there is an in-depth section where you can study both objects and maps. Take a look at the objects in our microscopes – both the analog and the digital microscopes. There is also a database where you can find out more about the three exhibition themes. There are a great many photographs, both historical photographs and beautiful nature photographs of insects; various reports and plans; historical maps; historical newspaper articles as well as an exciting film about land elevation.

Thank you for your visit! You are now ready to go on out and explore the surrounding countryside. And we look forward to welcoming you here again next time!