Nature on Display

My favourite exhibit in the Florida Museum of Natural History would have to be the butterfly exhibit. I particularly liked the design of this exhibit, because it showcased practically every single butterfly species. The sheer beauty of the butterflies and their astounding array of colours did indeed capture my attention. I was fascinated with all the different patterns that the different butterflies displayed. I also thoroughly enjoyed the wicked plants exhibition. I learned several new things about the natural world, including that many plants such as ivy and cashew plants are incredibly poisonous. I genuinely enjoyed every aspect of the museum. It was very interesting and informative.

Nature and Ethics

According to Leopold, we must "love, respect, and admire" the land. He affirms that conservation will only be truly successful once we learn to appreciate the land for more than its economic value and incentive. In other words, we need to protect and preserve the environment, instead of excessively exploiting it. I already appreciated nature before I visited this museum. Nevertheless, the exhibits made me acknowledge the sheer beauty of nature even further. Other people reacted with intense enthusiasm and curiosity towards the exhibits. From other people's reactions, I could decipher that they also found the butterfly exhibit particularly fascinating and captivating. The Natural History Museum allowes its visitors to connect to nature by cleverly immersing them into a certain landscape. For example, the bird estuary, quite literally transports you to a serene and tropical rainforest. All the exhibits appear incredibly realistic and brought me even closer to nature. I already possessed this ethical responsibility towards nature, however the exhibits in this museum only further cemented and strengthened my beliefs.

Nature and the Human Spirit

I agree with Heschel, that it is important to take time for ourselves to appreciate the wonders of the world. The Natural History Museum helps us step out of our ordinary lives in a most spectacular way. By visiting the museum, we can imagine traveling back in time to another era. For example, this can be experienced in the South Florida People and Environments exhibit. This exhibits unveils the everyday life of the Calusa tribe; the Native Americans of South Florida. This exhibit immerses its visitors into every aspect of their culture, including language, customs, beliefs etc. Exhibits such as this one, allow us to escape the struggles and qualms of the modern world and transport us to a world that is foreign and rich in history. Learning about history and all its different cultures, helps us appreciate the world for what it is today. It helps us be grateful for all the diversity our world has to offer and puts into perspective that we are history in the making. I simply cannot fathom living in a world lacking in culture and nature.