The Journey to the Florida Museum of Natural History Vincent Cassella
Nature on Display: The Butterfly Rain Forest at the Florida Museum of Natural history was whimsical, beautiful, and an absolute delight to visit. Being the 18 year old male that I am, I have no shame in admitting that this was one of the coolest experiences I have experienced in my entire life. The exhibit encloses visitors in an oasis of beautiful foilage and fauna where they are surrounded by many species of beautiful and enigmatic butterflies. Signage around the exhibit encouraged me to learn about the butterflies and the many different facets of their lives such as reproduction and feeding. Seeing butterflies in a book or on your computer screen is one thing but being able to immerse yourself in their habitat as they flutter all around you really allows you to appreciate their beauty.
Nature and Ethics: While walking through the exam, we encountered many exhibits including extinct ancient species. While most of the extinct species in the museum were not driven to extinction by humans (with the exception of the Woolly Mammoth being hunted to extinction), the exhibits had a lasting effect on me. We must appreciate and care for our Earth or one day we may be seeing animals such as polar bears in one of these exhibits of extinct animals. If we as humans do not take control of our lasting effects on Earth and its climate, we too could even become extinct one day. It is our responsibility as human beings to try and protect not only ourselves but the species that share the beautiful Earth with us.
My daily life includes waking up in my small dormitory room, going to class, going to work, doing homework, going to sleep, and repeating these steps every day. By going to the Florida Museum of Natural History, I was able to step out of my ordinary everyday life to appreciate something much bigger than I am. History and Nature. I was able to appreciate the beautiful world that we live in. I was able to picture my life as being on a planet full of beauty and nature instead of my life being in a small room with a cruddy roommate. I was able to see exhibits on the Calusa, a people very in touch with nature, living off of their surroundings. Appreciating the world that we live in. As a result I was able to do the same. Overall, the Florida Museum of Natural History was extremely effective in changing my world view to one that is much more positive and ready to appreciate what is around me.