I found the butterfly garden to be the most appealing part of the Natural History Museum. It was designed like a tropical rainforest, with lots of flowers, trees, and even waterfalls which made me feel immersed in a completely different environment. The height of the ceiling and the various butterflies fluttering around really helped me understand the type of environment butterflies need to thrive in. I found this exhibit so enjoyable because I didn't feel like I was in Gainesville anymore, it took me to another world.
The museum let me appreciate Leopold's views as it took me through exhibits of different habitats (ex: sand dunes) and different time periods (ex: Native American culture). The museum also focused on conservation as shown by this shark jaw, not letting us forget the animal. The museum allowed people to connect with nature through sound effects, facts, and realistic displays. I felt as if I was time traveling through different time eras as while as just traveling to different parts of the world as I walked through the museum. My experience in the museum did instill an ethical responsibility to nature because it made me realize and appreciate the importance of conservation and preservation.
The Natural History Museum helped me step out of my ordinary life through displays like this fossil of a mammoth. Mammoths are now extinct so seeing a fossil of one forces me to imagine what one would've looked like and lived like back in the ice ages. It helped me better appreciate the mystery and majesty of the natural world by showing an animal that is no longer living on this planet. It instilled in me a sense of wonder and curiosity about what the world used to be like and made me appreciate history and the dangers of extinction a lot more.