[강화이야기]
(33) Ganghwa Natural History Museum
Ganghwa Natural History Museum overview
Ganghwa Natural History Museum, a place where natural history is recorded
Everything displayed in a natural history museum is lifeless. However, as you walk through the exhibition room, you become humble at some point. This is because we can see that there was another era before human history, and we can learn not only scientific knowledge but also the attitude towards nature. The curators’ sincerity and interest have gone into each and every exhibit, and it seems as if it will be awakened soon. Moreover, as the viewer’s imagination increases, everything in the Natural History Museum seems to slowly transform into living things.
At the Natural History Museum, people are curious about the dinosaurs that ruled this land a long time ago, fossils that reveal the secrets of the evolution of life, the process of Earth’s birth, and rare animals and plants. I suddenly became curious and nodded, realizing that this is what the creature I had only heard about looked like. The Natural History Museum is literally a place where the history of nature is recorded.
Ganghwa Natural History Museum systematically collects, preserves, investigates, and studies various specimens and holds a wealth of exhibitions, education, and cultural events for visitors to enjoy. In addition, it always provides fun and lively entertainment. You can directly view various and rare specimens of fossils, minerals, plants, insects, etc., and the latest exhibition techniques such as video and dioramas are used to display the natural ecosystem so that you can directly see and observe it.
Inside the museum
‘Insects that live with us’, the late teacher Park Je-won comes to mind.
As soon as you enter the museum, a sperm whale (sperm whale family) is on display in the first floor lobby. Total length 14.5m. In January 2009, a whale stranded on Boreum Island, Seodo-myeon, Ganghwa-gun was secured from Ganghwa-gun. The sperm whale has a very massive body and head, and is black, blue-gray or brown. They live in temperate and tropical seas around the world and generally live in groups. Due to the commercial value of spermaceti and ambergris that can be obtained from sperm whales, they have been hunted for a long time and were on the verge of extinction, but were saved from extinction when hunting was completely banned in 1985. In any case, it catches the attention of visitors right from the entrance to the museum.
Next to the ticket office is a donation/deposit room. It says ‘Insects that live with us’ and there is a statue of ‘insect specimen donor’ Park Je-won. There are various insect specimens donated by the late Park Je-won (1965-2005), a native of Ganghwa. It’s true that I recently went to see the ‘Trees and Grass of Ganghwa Island’ exhibition by Kang Bok-hee, the chairman of Ganghwa Nadeul-gil.
I saw the late Park Je-won several times in the past. It already happened about 20 years ago. When my nieces and nephews were young, we went to the insect museum run by Mr. Park several times. He brought his four nephews to the insect museum in the village above Jingogae, Gukhwa-ri, Ganghwa-eup, and looked at insects. I bought a tool that looked like an insect’s eye when I put my eye to it, and I bought printed photos of various insects. “Aunt, let’s go see insects!” The insect museum I visited several times even when my nephews were busy talking about it. At that time, the person who kindly explained it to his nephews was teacher Park Je-won.
Sperm whale stranded on Boreumdo Island Insects that live with us_ Corner
Recently, I went to the Natural History Museum and learned that my father had donated it to the Natural History Museum in his will. I see, he passed away at a young age. He had mixed emotions as he looked around at the stuffed insects.
The first floor of the Natural History Museum displays the birth of the solar system, an Earth full of diverse creatures, creatures adapting to the environment, and the evolution of humanity, while the second floor displays ecosystems and food webs, reproduction, camouflage, imitation, and reinforcement that maintain species and populations. There were exhibits about tidal flats, movement of living things, etc.
The solar system was born about 4.6 billion years ago, when the sun was formed at the edge of our galaxy, and a stony inner planet was located near the sun, and a gaseous exoplanet was located outside it. These planets formed a solar system, revolving in the same direction in a huge disk around the sun. The creation of the Earth, the rock cycle, water, the source of life, the Earth’s environment diversified by continental drift, and oxygen in the primitive atmosphere.
Trees and grass in Ganghwa Island_ Exhibition Hall
Earth is full of diverse creatures: The first creatures were single-celled organisms, which gradually evolved into green plants that photosynthesize. Through photosynthesis, the amount of oxygen in the atmosphere increased, and as a result, organisms that breathed oxygen were created, and the Earth became filled with a wide variety of organisms. Marine invertebrates, marine vertebrates, terrestrial invertebrates, terrestrial vertebrates.
Organisms that adapt to the environment: They have adapted to new environments for many reasons, such as securing food and space, escaping from the danger of predators, and relieving competition with other creatures, and have increased the survival rate of species and groups by expanding their habitats throughout the Earth. Buoyancy control in sea animals, creatures moving from water to land, land creatures adapting back to life in the water, and animal flight.
Evolution of Humans: In the evolution of humans over 6 million years, the most distinguishing feature from other animals is walking upright. Long after walking upright, humans were able to use tools and language, and as evolution progressed, the human brain became increasingly larger and more complex.
Ecosystem and food web: All living things, from small microorganisms to large animals, are closely connected, including eating and being eaten, protecting and helping each other, and circulating and purifying substances. Heterotrophs, autotrophs, herbivores, symbionts, carnivores, decomposers, parasites
Reproduction to maintain species and populations: The reproductive activities of animals include courtship, mating, birth, and childcare, while the reproductive activities of plants include several steps, including pollination, fruiting, and seed dispersal. Crime prevention and reproduction to leave offspring. Choice of gender.
Camouflage and mimicry: In order to increase survival rates and leave more offspring, living things have used various methods, such as changing their bodies to match their surroundings to avoid enemies or highlighting themselves as dangerous creatures to increase survival rates. Camouflage. copy.
Movement of living things: Among living things that move their habitat, some move periodically for reasons such as reproduction, feeding, or seasonal environmental changes, while others move unexpectedly due to an increase in population. migratory animal. Migration of migratory birds.
Ganghwa tidal flats account for 17% of the total tidal flat area in Korea.
Ganghwa tidal flat and migratory birds flying to Ganghwa
In front of the ‘Ganghwa Tidal Flat’, the steps become slower. Ganghwa Tidal Flat is considered one of the world’s five largest tidal flats and accounts for 17% of Korea’s total tidal flat area. Because it is rich in organic matter and is well supplied with oxygen through the flow of seawater, the biota is diverse and many migratory birds visit this place. Migratory birds visiting Ganghwa Island.
Ganghwa Tidal Flat is a place where the tidal range is so large that tens of kilometers of tidal flats have been formed. This is one of the world’s five largest mudflats and accounts for 17% of Korea’s total mudflat area. Ganghwado tidal flats have a diverse biota because they are rich in organic matter and are well supplied with oxygen through the circulation of seawater. Creatures that live in tidal flats include crabs, gobies, slugs, crabs, clams, and midges. Naturally, many migratory birds flock there.
Migratory birds that visit Ganghwa Island include spoonbills, curlews, black-fronted plovers, egrets, black-tailed gulls, and herons. The spoonbill, the rarest migratory bird found in the Ganghwa tidal flat, is an endangered species with about 2,000 remaining worldwide, and is designated as a natural monument in Korea. The name spoonbill comes from its habit of hunting food by stirring up the water.
It is fun to go to the Ganghwa Natural History Museum and focus on the places written about the Ganghwa region. This is because the natural history of Ganghwa seen from the land of Ganghwa comes very vividly. The Natural History Museum is more fun when the viewer uses their imagination at every moment. Recently, a ‘Natural History Museum Experience with AR’ program was created. If you hand over your ID when purchasing an admission ticket, you will receive a tablet. Using this tablet, you can experience the exhibition more vividly. I thought it would be good for kindergarten or elementary school students to use. If you stop by Ganghwa, be sure to visit the Natural History Museum.
Elementary school students using the Natural History Museum experience using AR.
Copyright © Incheon in. Reproduction and redistribution prohibited.
