Environmental education in Natural History Museums as an instrument for scientific dissemination

the case of the giant sloth fossil at the Sertão Museum in Petrolina-PE

Abstract

Museums are spaces that tell stories and preserve memories. Themes and dynamism are essential to attract visitors to the exhibitions. The Museum of Sertão has a fossil of a giant sloth, but, there is a lack of information about this one. The research aimed to characterize the importance of environmental education in the museum, scientific dissemination and knowledge construction. We emphasize the relevance of the museum as a space for environmental education, relating past facts with current challenges. The applied methodology was the case study and the bibliographic review. We conclude that updated information and the use of illustrations enrich the exhibitions, promote attractiveness to the museum, and that this information, organized, can help with scientific dissemination.