Heritage Nostalgia: Exploring the Natural Richness at the Museum of Natural History

For the final part of this blog post about my second visit in the Museum of Natural History, it is all about the natural resources and biodiversity of our country which can be found in the galleries in the fifth floor, as well with the reflections that I've gained in this tour.

The replicas of Lolong and a Philippine duck flying above the crocodile.

First, we have the gallery called the Philippine Biodiversity. You can find the different plants and animals which are common in the country. The main attraction in this gallery is the replica of Lolong with flying ducks and other birds surrounded the crocodile.

The comparison of jaws between a present-day bull shark, the smaller ones and  a replica of a megalodon shark.

Different marine creatures (clockwise) such as the nautilus and horseshoe crab, a replica of Jurassic ammonite,
a black marlin and other marine fossils such as the Tridacna gigas and other corals.

Fossils and remains of stegodon, rhinoceros, giant tortoise and a bovid.

Different marine fossils from the prehistoric era.

Don't forget also to visit the gallery of Life Through Time. As you enter the gallery, the first thing that you can see is the comparison of jaws of a bull shark and a replica of megalodon shark, a large prehistoric shark. You can also see different marine fossils and creatures living since the prehistoric era and their similar creatures in the present time. You can also check the fossils and replica of prehistoric land animals such as the rhinoceros, stegodon, bovid and a giant tortoise.

Different igneous rocks.

Various minerals which can be found in the country.

Different energy sources from wind energy, solar energy and geothermal energy.

Different forms of mining such as gathering gold and minerals from the rivers and mining under the ground.

Rehabilitating an open mine pit to an ecopark.

Then, we also have the galleries of Minerals and Energy Resources where you can see different energy sources used in the Philippines such as geothermal, wind, solar  and hydrothermal. Also, you can see different minerals found in our country as well with the places where you can find minerals.

A diorama on how lahar occurs during the rainy season. 

Don't also forget to visit the gallery of Geology of the Philippines. You may see a diorama of the layers of the Earth and a volcanic lava.  You can also see a map which shows the different volcanoes in the country, various igneous rocks and how lahar occurs. According to Wikipedia, lahar is an Indonesian term that  describes a hot or cold mixture of water and rock fragments that flows down the slopes of a volcano and typically enters a river valley. In other words, it is a dangerous debris flow that came from a volcano.

The game will provide 10 to 12 pictures and you will match it on the names below.

If you got it correct, then there will be additional points.

The game will test your knowledge and speed.

A father and his son are playing this interactive game.

In some galleries particularly in the fourth floor, there are interactive games that you can enjoy. These games will test your knowledge about the different flora and fauna in the Philippine forests. I really enjoyed these interactive games because of the additional knowledge and a challenge of memory if you really roamed around the museum and take a closer look of the various species.

Different varieties of birds which can be found in the  Philippine rainforests.

Definitely, my tour here in this museum enhanced my knowledge on how rich the Philippine flora and fauna is. We need to take care of our nature, conserve the plants and animals and save our habitat for the future of our nature.

Date of Travel: November 17, 2018