Nature On Display
The Museum did a great job of immersing the visitor in nature. The Mammoth skeleton on display at the very beginning of the Museum was something that caught my eye immediately. The life size recreation of the Mammoth's skeleton, even though it was made of plaster, was absolutely mind-boggling. It's massive tusks protruded out at me, making the sculpture look like it was about to come back to life. To think that something so large once existed on our earth and then realizing that something else caused it to go extinct definitely made me feel small. This exhibit showed me my place in the world and also made me cherish life a little more. I found it enjoyable because that no matter how hard life gets, being alive is better than being dead like the mammoths!
Nature and Ethics
The Native Americans, long before pilgrims and other immigrants came to America, inhabited this land and treated it with care. The Native American exhibit, took me and other visitors back to a time when to live meant to survive. In order to survive, humans had to respect the land as opposed to viewing themselves as the conquerors of it. The greenery depicted in the background and the meager ways of living depicted in the exhibit as a whole showed me that life could be lived without abusing the Earth. Additionally, the strong show of culture in Native American exhibit showed me that the roots of all culture are very primitive and wholesome, and that any culture could be carried out without harming our Earth and others. The museum as a whole truly made me appreciate the Biology and the various cultures that make up the natural Earth. The Native American exhibit, as well as the other exhibits in the museum gave me a renewed sense of responsibility in regards to caring for the environment.
Nature and the Human Spirit
The Natural History Museum transports visitors to an almost Utopian-like atmosphere when one visits the Butterfly Exhibit. Stepping into the exhibit, which was air-sealed from the rest of the museum, was an absolutely unreal experience. The lush greenery accompanied by the many fluttering creatures flying around the exhibit provided the ultimate sensory experience. Like Heschel suggested, I felt the need to connect to the eternal and visiting this exhibit was a way to do so. It was step outside my comfort zone as I am not usually a big fan of bugs and was scared I would accidentally step on one. However, I ended up enjoying the experience and obtained a broader understanding of the beauty and majesty the world has to offer. All from a few unique species of butterflies!
