NATURE ON DISPLAY :
An exhibit that caught my attention was the small hallway that lead to the Butterfly Exhibit. At first glance, I thought it were leaves and vines that hung from the ceiling and the walls of the hallway. But as I got closer, I saw that they were actually thousands of monarch butterflies that were clustered together. They weren't real of course, and look like they were made of plastic. Nonetheless, the display was beautiful and made me feel as if I had stepped into their environment for split second. There were also mini television screens that showed real hoards of monarch butterflies in the wild. They looked so beautiful and free. My friend said they looked terrifying. But why would they? They flew so confidently in the space around them, safe and secure, knowing they are not alone. This made me really appreciate nature on a whole other level and even made me a bit envious. Those butterflies are living the Good Life. What made the experience at the museum so enjoyable, was that I was able to literally "stop and smell the roses." Sometimes I get so caught up in school work I forget to pay attention to the environment around me. I took a Stress and Anxiety Management class last semester and learned that spending time in nature aides in reducing stress. Also I love colorful, pretty things, so those seeing those butterflies made me feel so happy.
NATURE AND ETHNICS :
I feel like the Natural History Museum did a decent job of providing me the opportunity to experience nature in ways that Leopold recommends in terms of "love, respect, and admire" the land. The staff there were especially strict about respecting the displays and being kind to the butterflies and frogs. They allowed my friend and I to observe nature up close and did so well. All the displays were eye catching, and you could not help but to admire the work placed into them. One way they allowed us to connect with nature was through the Butterfly exhibit in which we were able to walk in a space with free flying butterflies. If I could describe how I felt going through the displays, I would say I felt almost foreign. I felt like I was evading the animals environment. For instance, I made sure I was not standing too close to the glass in the frog display. Not because I was afraid but because I wanted to respect their space and did not want to make them feel uncomfortable. Same with the butterflies. I did not reach out to them and try to catch them no matter how close they flew to me. I was merely a guest visiting their home and I feel like that is really important when it comes to nature. Therefore, I would have to say yes that my experience at the museum instilled an ethical responsibility in me towards nature as Leopold imagined.
NATURE AND HUMAN SPIRIT :
The Natural History Museum allowed us to step out of our ordinary lives by creating a surrounding environment we are not use to. As previously stated, the displays made me feel foreign as if I stepped into a whole new place I have only read about or scene pictures of. Throughout the entire visit, I was mostly in awe at the things I saw. Nature is so artistic and beautiful. Through this we can better understand that we are also once a part of nature before urban development. It's amazing to think that we were also once one with frogs and ferns and butterflies. But over time we disconnected ourselves and created this comfortable environment that has shunned us out of the real world around us. The Natural History Museum does an awesome job at reminding us what goes on in the real world as we stay glued to our laptops and other technological devices. Additionally, the displays evoke a feeling inside us all and cannot help but to feel a certain way when we see huge butterflies or bright blue frogs.
