GRANTS IN ACTION: Lightkeepers Home Museum

GRANTS IN ACTION: Flora, Fauna, Flowerpot Monster and Fun Room

    With the support of a 2025 Spring Community Grant from Community Foundation Grey Bruce, Friends of the Bruce District Parks Association transformed the Children’s Room at the Lightkeeper’s Home Museum on Flowerpot Island. The Flora, Fauna, Flowerpot Monster and Fun Room project created an interactive space where children and families can explore the island’s natural environment, history, and stories through hands-on, place-based learning.

    The renewed Children’s Room uses immersive exhibits focused on nature, science, and local history to encourage children to explore and learn about their surroundings. Creative elements, including felted displays and the story of the Flowerpot Monster, help connect the island’s history with its flora and fauna in ways designed specifically for young visitors.

    Approximately 40,000 visitors to the Lightstation had an opportunity to experience the renewed space during the season. The project also supported 34 volunteer host groups, providing them with new resources and ways to share stories about the Lightstation, the natural environment, and the Flowerpot Monster with visitors of different ages. Visitors responded positively to the renewed space. Diana, a Lightstation visitor, shared: “The themed children's room in the museum, with a focus on flora and fauna, was whimsical. The felting was a creative way to display information about the island while making it feel like a kids' space. It really connected the history of the island with the nature around it.”

    The project has also contributed to ongoing collaboration between Parks Canada, the Saugeen Ojibway Nation, and the Friends of Bruce District Parks Association. Through increased communication and planning, the partners are working toward a coordinated approach to interpretation, Indigenous history, stewardship, and the visitor experience at Flowerpot Island.

    The Children’s Room is part of a larger five-year revitalization of the nine rooms within the Lightkeeper’s Home Museum, guided by the theme “Portal to the Past, Preserved for the Future.” Future rooms will explore different aspects of island life, the natural environment, environmental stewardship, and the stories of people connected to Flowerpot Island. Several final elements of the Children’s Room will also be installed when the island reopens, including interpretive signage, a bird mobile, and a display of children’s Flowerpot Monster artwork.

    Community Foundation Grey Bruce is proud to support initiatives that create opportunities for learning, encourage curiosity, and help residents and visitors discover the natural and cultural heritage of our region.