Our Visit to the American Museum of Natural History!
By Yamilet Chabla Urgiles ('25) & Chantal Chabla Urgiles ('26)
Come With Us on a Trip: American Museum of Natural History Edition!
Last time, we went to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and since it was super interesting we decided why not visit the Museum of Natural History this time!
Our fascination with discovering new places has been with us for as long as we can remember! It’s amazing how educational and interesting the collections of works museums can provide. Another part of our reasoning for visiting the Museum of Natural History was that it was just a couple of blocks away from the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Here’s a quick recap of the day of our adventure to put you in the moment!
It was a particularly windy day with rain drizzling. The car ride went in a flash, but at first, the traffic was unbearable. The experience definitely would have been enhanced if it didn’t rain as hard. The line for the museum was long, but we knew it would be worth it.
Theodore Roosevelt was a conservationist and was determined to form new parks as well as preserve forests and build museums. He had a passion for nature because of his first-hand experiences as a rancher in North Dakota, Badlands. This fueled his passion for nature and he saw the threats of extinction for many animals including the American bison. He decided to take action by placing 230 million acres of land under Federal protection.
Photo courtesy of The American Museum of Natural
After taking his place as President, he continued with his passion for adventure by taking a trip to Brazil’s River of Doubt. His efforts are seen throughout the museum and there’s even a bronze statue of him in the museum!
This mineral sample gives us information about the Earth’s crust. We learned that it’s the lightest, most buoyant rock layer. The continental crust covers about 41% of the Earth’s surface, but a quarter of the area is under the oceans. The continental crust is about 20 to 80 kilometers thick as well. It holds about four billion years of Earth’s history.
In the continental crust, there are granitic, sedimentary, and metamorphic rocks. The sedimentary rocks have a mineral limestone that is composed of calcite and dolomite.
A limestone mineral!
Photo courtesy of dnr.mo.gov
Most mammals can climb steep peaks more than mountain goats. Many of the visuals are animals in their natural habits; you can see this for the mountain goats in their natural habitat of the mountains. It has muscular forelimbs that help it brake on downhills and race upslope. The mountain goat can gain 75 feet (23 meters) of altitude in only a minute. Most surprisingly, a young mountain goat can climb anywhere even after just a week of birth.
Finally...the half globe! The half globe shows a changing image of the Earth as it’s seen from space. As it rotates, the clouds disappear, and the continents and the oceans are shown. Then the land and the water disappear, showing the inside of the ocean floors. It represents how the earth is ever-changing and never the same. There are many planetariums and space exhibits all over New York and the country. Some honorable mentions are the Hayden Planetarium, Liberty Science Center, Bruce Museum, West Point Museum, and the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum.
We recommend checking it out and learning more about our planet and the nature surrounding us. The Richard Gilder Center for Science, Education, and Innovation is a new part the museum, but it’s under construction and opens again on February 17, 2023. The Gilder Center will include three stories of exhibits, featuring everything and anything from the museum’s extensive collections! There will also be space for learning, a gallery devoted to insects, and another gallery where folks can hang out with up to 80 species of free-flying butterflies! Until next time!
Cover photo courtesy of The American Museum of Natural History
Banner photo courtesy of Viator