Our Green Stories

Museums care for artefacts dating back hundreds and thousands of years (and beyond), but our work is rooted in the present day. We conserve objects and archives to record the memories of the past—how people lived, the communities they formed, the environments they occupied, the animals and plants they were familiar with, the natural resources they exploited, and the tools and technologies that sustained them—and share this knowledge with our audiences. And whether sewing with our volunteers or sowing seeds in our garden, people use our spaces and unique collections to enrich their daily lives in myriad creative ways, from starry-eyed children to veteran researchers.

Our Green Stories is a creative campaign by Museums Partnership Reading, a partnership of The MERL and Reading Museum funded by Arts Council England, exploring stories of the changing environment through museum collections in Reading and highlighting ways of building a sustainable future both locally and beyond.

In the pages below, explore the Our Green Stories programme at The MERL. We will be adding events and blogs throughout the year, highlighting different parts of our collections.

Blogs and online exhibitions

Events and Activities

Past Events