November 5th was the "Museum Open Day" of HZAU. This activity was jointly held by the Association for Plant Protection and the university museum to enable students to know the campus better and gain more knowledge.
To liven things up, the association members played some games like story relay before guiding students into the museum. There are six exhibition halls-- preface hall, insect hall, animal hall, plant hall, soil hall and geology hall where hundreds of animal and plant specimens are displayed, including dozens of rare animal specimens.
In the center of the preface hall stands a specimen of tawny eagle which, according to the guide ,was once saved by our students as it fell down to Shizishan due to bad injures. It died ultimately and was later made into a specimen in a landing posture with wings fully spreading. It then became a symbol of the harmony between HZAUers and the nature. The guide explained those specimens in a quite vivid and interesting way by linking those to ancient stories.
Students showed great interest in the specimens of coleopteran and lepidopteran such as brush-footed butterflies, white butterflies and swallowtail butterflies displayed in the insect hall. During the visit, they kept taking pictures and praising their colorful and dedicate look, and some even asked many questions to explore their deeper connotation. “Students from the College of Animal Sciences & Technology made 80% poultry and livestock specimens in the animal hall, and wildlife animal specimens include dozens of kinds of national protected species,” the guide explained , "Some are even taken as gifts among national leaders." Among the exhibits in the ore hall, most are fruits brought back by the students during their internship, and metal ores are particularly shiny and exquisite. Despite of the fading color, each of them is sophisticatedly made through the efforts of teachers and students and represents their spirit of hard work and unremitting pursuit.
Li Haifeng, a student from class 1503 majoring in Plant Protection and also one of the organizers, said: "I was led by my seniors into the beauty of the museum when I was a freshman." She hoped that this tradition could enable more HZAUers to appreciate its charm. Luo Zhaoyan, a freshman majoring in Seed Science and Engineering, listened attentively and took pictures from time to time. She said, "The museum is bigger than I thought, and the specimens here are rich in both type and quantity, especially butterfly specimens which are so amazing that I hope we can take our time to appreciate them". She also wished the museum could extend opening hours, so that we may enjoy the museum better and understand the greatness of life.
http://news.hzau.edu.cn/2016/1108/47297.shtml
(By Chen Jing)
