The museum was so much more than i thought it was going to be. The required task turned into a fun-filled adventure that plagued me with nostalgia. It made me remember all my times at the Orlando science center back home as a kid and was just as informative as it was intriguing. I learned so much about fossils and wildlife and native American culture. The exhibits were almost sensory overload as i looked for the proper exhibits to take my pictures in. I loved every moment of my time spent in there and it was a treat, as it was a different experience than just going to class at a lecture hall.
The cave exhibit was the peak of immersion in the natural history museum. Walking into it i felt as if i was hundreds of feet below the surface of the earth. It felt as if i was back in the Grand Caverns of West Virginia. The rocks, the temperature and the lighting were all major factors in the experience. This whole exhibit worked to educate me on the life below the surface of the earth. There was a bat hunt along with other activities where you search the darkness for the animals that inhabit the cave. The exhibit explained how bats take refuge deep in the cave to rest and prepare themselves for a night of hunting food. It was really cool to see how many animals live in the darkness below us and even cooler to see how hard it is to actually spot them. It was truly a breathtaking exhibit and it did a great job at recreating the atmosphere of being deep in a cave.
This unique exhibit displayed a scene where the native Americans are one with the nature that surrounds. One man is pictured returning to land with a shark in tow, presumably for food. Another is seen tanning hide and preparing food. it shows that everyone had a pave in society and must contribute to keep their coastal community going. This interaction between man and his environment in the most pure form. Long before the creation of powered boats and railroads these people depended on the land for everything from food and water, all the way up to the need for shelter. All their problems could be solved by hard work and interaction with the land around them. Seeing an exhibit like this really got me thinking about the injustices native Americans faced by the US government. They were living a peaceful life among nature and the government forced them out. Very unfair and has left America scared ever since. The people around me and myself were floored by the realism displayed on the nature exhibits. the staff did a great job at recreating nature and truly immersing us, the audience, within their world. Seeing nature in such a pure form really makes me want to keep it that way. This concept is becoming harder and harder everyday with increasing technology and lacking respect for the natural environment. I deeply want us to keep the natural world sacred but some people don't feel hat way and it is taking a toll on the environment.
This exhibit showed a physical connection in the universe between animals and humans. It showed that we can interact with the animals in the environmental and there are things to gain from it. Using poison darts became a staple of culture and hunting in jungles and a formative way of hunting. It shows a symbiotic relationship between tree frogs and humans, they supply us with poisonous venom and we refrain from hunting them into extinction. This museum helps us take a break from our ordinary lives and dive into a world of wonder and discovery. I took a break form my busy fraternity life and constant juggling of classes to finally be free and feed my mind with an endless supply of information. It felt great to escape and be able to investigate any exhibit i wanted. The exhibit shows that the human spirit is triumphant This museum is definitely something i want to visit again and i hope this is not the last time I visit it in my time at UF.
The butterfly exhibit was definitely the main attraction of the whole museum. it ran along a whole side of the place and even sported an entire lab area that informed everyone of their operations here at the museum. It was awesome being completely surrounded by the butterflies. It was sad to see them trapped in an enclosure but awesome to have that for everyone to see, kids and people alike.