In Another Land

Biplab Das visits a museum 
that recreates nature's treasures 

The birds chirp as snakes hiss menacingly. A care-free spotted deer loiters around gingerly, oblivious of the tiger on the prowl as tall, imposing greens sit incongruously with the smaller ones, shutting out the sun and its glory. 

Forest idyll? Yes. Real? No. It's simply an artificial one displayed at the museum on 'Environment and Man', to be formally inaugurated on December 14, at the Ramkrishna Mission Ashram, Narendrapur. "The museum aims to enrich young minds with knowledge of the environment of which they are a part of. Hopefully, it will cultivate an environment-friendly attitude in them," says Swami Vishvamayananda, assistant secretary of the ashram. 

The model forest described above, titled Walk Through Forest, is replete with wax-and-pulp paper trees, along with stuffed animals and birds. The birdsongs and animal calls wafting in the background also add to this wonderful simulation. 

On the whole, the museum contains two distinct sections: the first one deals with the origin of our planet and its various ecosystems, while the second section depicts the evolution of man and civilisation. 

The Origin of Universe section traces the fiery beginnings of the cosmic world. It shows the phenomenon of the Big Bang and the formation of atomic matter. With an eye for sharp detail, the display also charts the birth of neutrons and protons, the atomic ingredients. 

Also interesting is the way the baby Universe is represented by a tennis ball to give an idea of the expansion and inflation it has undergone over a period of 15 billion years. The exhibit is accompanied by a quiz-board on galaxies and their members. 

Next to it sits a diagrammatic representation that tells the story of the fortuitous journey of life, which made its unicellular debut 3.8 billion years ago and reached its zenith with the advent of man. 

If plants interest you, then you can have a peek at the exhibit titled Plant Life Through the Ages. Here, different plant fossils have been meticulously showcased, the oldest having been around for 260 million years and the youngest dating from 1.5 million years ago. This will surely inspire any student to study palaeobotany. 

Not only does the museum familiarise enthusiasts with the history of our existence, it also gives them a taste of the various existing ecosystems, a chance that many urbanites, especially the young ones, will cherish. The Sundarban mangroves, the African savannas, the Australian deserts and such others are recreated to capture the imagination and transport onlookers to places that are fast dwindling. 

A family tree of all life forms sketched in The Phylogeny of Plants and Animals is equally noteworthy. Man's place as a mere twig of the genealogical tree subverts the baseless pride that we take in our superiority. 

The exhibit titled A Glimpse of the World of Insects showcases the quirky world of insects and reminds us that fast disappearing forests will only lead to their extinction. Their importance in the food chain is also well illustrated. Other illustrations and charts show the snowscapes of Antartica, with its penguins and seals; underwater life, reminding us that we should not use our oceans as dumping sites; and South American forest treasures - its motley macaws and deadly rattlesnakes. 

But what takes the cake is the one titled Human March Towards Civilisation. Though it charts the growth of modern man, it begins with the age of dinosaurs, since it was only after their extinction that marsupials proliferated, heralding the era of mammals. 

And, then suddenly, around five million years ago, our first ancestors split from chimpanzees, the primate group with whom we share a common genetic root. This deviation marked the beginning of humankind. 

The display leaves no stone unturned. Not only does it summarise the various types of humans, but it also gives an idea of their contribution to civilisation. For example, Homo habilis, is credited with the invention of stone tools, while Homo erectus harnessed fire. 

The last giant leap that man took 10,000 years ago, after ice age, came in the shape of agriculture. This has been nicely portrayed in the Cradle of Civilisation: The Fertile Crescent. In South Asia, farming, the way we know it today, began in 6500 BC at Mehergarh, a village on the banks of the river Indus. 

One can only hope that the museum will inspire the coming generations to appreciate and understand nature better.