Nature on Display

Below was actually the first exhibit I saw when I entered the museum and I found it very intriguing because of how large the fossil was. At first I thought it was a dinosaur, but after reading the information about the fossil, I found out it was actually a real fossil of a mammoth. Something very interesting I learned from this exhibit was that dinosaurs actually never lived in Florida because 65 million years ago when dinosaurs existed, Florida was underwater. I also learned that Mammoths disappeared after the Ice Age, which I actually knew but forgot about from the Ice Age movies! But something I learned from this exhibit that I didn't understand previously from this medium was that they also went extinct because of disease and hunting-not just climate change.

I found my experience at the museum so enjoyable because I have been planning to switch to a science major which may include a lot of history about animals and nature, which this museum revolves around. Something I enjoyed the most was seeing the actual size of all of the fossils because it gave you a real glimpse to how gigantic some of these extinct animals were.

Nature and Ethics

The museum definitely gave me the opportunity to experience nature by loving, respecting and admiring it as Leopold recommends. Even though the animals were incredible, as I walked through the museum it was a little sad to see all the animals that have gone extinct. This made me appreciate the animals, endangered or not, we have on our earth today and made me further want to do something to help them. I definitely feel the ethical responsibility to do my part in taking care of the outside world and community I live in, in order for animals and wild life to thrive; if everyone did so, I believe a lot less animals would go instinct. I went with my friend Marina, and she too was sad, especially to see where they were displaying the butterflies. I thought they were beautiful, but she mentioned it was sad that they were killed to be put on display for us to see. I loved seeing the children in awe looking at all the fossils and butterfly exhibit. Even though I am an advocate for animals and do not like being them caged in to be looked at, I appreciated that the little kids got a real, great learning experience from the fossils and live frogs and butterflies on display.

The museum allowed visitors to be close to nature that we will never see in our backyards in Florida. There was two live exhibits-the butterfly and frog exhibits-which included animals from all over the world. Especially in the butterfly exhibit when they fly right next to you or even land on you, you get a feeling of how delicate and beautiful of creatures they are.

Nature and the Human Spirit

The museum allowed me to step out of my daily, ordinary life by stepping into almost a different world where we actually take the time to appreciate the beauty that our world has. Although this was a project and at first it may have seemed like a chore or task for many students like myself, once I got here, I took my time to look at all the details and really valued the beauty of each creature I saw, especially at the butterfly exhibit.

The museum gives us a better glimpse into who we are as people because it makes you think how often you appreciate the world around you, rethink your values and if you're spending your daily time for them. Going to this museum, I also realized that even though most of these majestic animals are from parts of the world that I may never go to, there are plenty of other beautiful and majestic animals and places of nature where I live that I have the chance to see everyday.

In college, sometimes I find myself cooped up inside on my laptop working on assignments and studying, but when I think about living the Good Life, I think about being active and going outside where I can appreciate the beauty of the world. This museum no doubt inspired me to make an effort daily to go outside and actually pay attention to where I am, and to be grateful that I am healthy enough to walk around and enjoy the beauty nature offers. I hope all other Good Life students feel the same way because if we all spend time appreciating the world around us, we will all be a step closer to happiness and the Good Life.