How to Save The Planet is now on at Western Bay Museum.

Western Bay Museum is looking to the past to improve the future in its latest exhibition.

How to Save the Planet asks the question — are there things we can do that our grandparents did, that might be a little gentler on the earth?

Frugal Kiwi grandparents and great-grandparents may have had the right idea, says Western Bay collection curator Rosemary Deane.

How to Save the Planet (what we can learn from our grandparents) is the museum's latest exhibition.

Rosemary says the exhibition is of interest to all, but young people in particular may learn from it.

"It's aimed at younger people and is a change from our usual exhibitions in that it isn't historic. However, it will be nostalgic for older people who visit. For the younger ones, it will make them think whether the old ways were better ... and in some cases they weren't – for example who wants to mend their tights?"

Egg preserver?

Rosemary says her own parents and grandparents were very frugal.

"Over the generations we tend to get stuff and then we throw it away. The exhibition looks at objects in our collection ... what can we preserve or mend. It's about reducing waste really.''

The exhibition also focuses on groups and businesses in the Western Bay that are doing their bit, such as The Daily Cafe in Te Puke and Sustainable Waihi Beach.

There will also be a series of blogs on the Facebook page with things people can do, such as upcycling and making their own products. Workshops will be run that complement How to Save the Planet.

Workshops:
• Frugal is the new wealth: Talk by Jizzy Green from Grow On Katikati at The Arts Junction theatre on November 10.
• Gardening all year round in a small space: A workshop by Sue and Stuart Couper in their own garden on November 13.
• DIY upcycled Christmas decorations: A workshop by Rosemary Deane at The Arts Junction theatre on November 20.
For times and to book the free workshops, email [email protected] or phone 021 223 4451.

The Details
What: How to Save the Planet
Where: Western Bay Museum
When: November to February