Exploring Mount Hamiguitan Museum: A World Heritage Journey with Friends

Davao Oriental, Philippines – More than 6,000 hectares of Nature's Wonder comprises the unique feature of Mt. Hamiguitan to be one of the most cherished jewels of this picturesque province, which also gained fame by being inscribed in the most coveted UNESCO World Heritage Site back in 2014 and later on as the ASEAN Heritage Park.

Highpoint of the trip was the visit to Mount Hamiguitan Heritage Museum. The museum speaks to the importance of the place and showcases the unique biodiversity and cultural traditions of the area. We spent quite a number of hours inside, awed by the variety of flora and fauna that call Mount Hamiguitan home. They learned of indigenous communities that have lived in harmony with the mountain for generations. The interactive displays at the museum brought their stories to life.

A number of the most striking features within the museum itself were the ones that a very large, wall-mounted display made from numerous little, colored blocks spelled out, quite ostensibly: "Mount Hamiguitan." This arresting installation served to provide an unerring background for taking a group picture of the friends, capturing and recording their sharing of excitement in the adventure—lifelong keepsake of theirs—and symbolism of the bunch's appreciation toward nature and culture experienced during the trip.

The picture shows an exhibit in a museum entitled "The Forest Floor." It was a long, horizontal terrarium or aquarium built into a dark wooden wall. All sorts of plants were placed in the terrarium to represent some sort of small forest floor biome. A branch with leaves has been mounted above the terrarium, adding a touch to complete the realistic setting of a forest. Visible on the left of this view is the small info plaque; however, the text on it is not legible. The final design will create a sense of place, be informational, and evoke the diversity found on a forest floor.

This, of course, is a picture of a taxidermied Philippine Eagle Owl (Bubo philippensis), most probably in some sort of museum. There's even a small placard that says who it is and how this is the biggest owl species to be found in the Philippines, along with this interesting little tidbit: their calls are the same as that of the Philippine Eagle.

On the background, there are some information panels, one of which appears to describe a species of bat—Cynopterus brachyotis. The wood of the background suggests something institutional, like a natural history or wildlife museum. It generally tries to inform its viewers about biodiversity in the Philippines, specifically focusing on the country's unique owl and bat species.

The picture shows a taxidermied Crested Goshawk in a clear acrylic display case. An identifying small informational card identifies the bird and describes it as a powerfully built hawk of the forests, particularly hilly woods. The card also says that its namesake crest is normally held low and not very visible. The background is a blurred image of a forest, which provides context to the habitat of this particular bird. The overall impression is one of a museum or educational presentation.

The picture shows the taxidermied Philippine Eagle under the name "Thor." The eagle is shown in spread-wing position and mounted on a branch. A small plaque below the display tells the following story:

Name: Thor, christened in the name of the Norse God of Thunder.

History: It was a young eagle, shot in the year 1971, having survived a gunshot wound on its shoulder. It struggled for life in an unconducive environment for three years before it was rescued.

Significance: It served as a symbol for the country's national eagle conservation efforts.
Longevity: It lived for more than 40 years at the Philippine Eagle Center in Mt. Apo. It died on November 2, 2006.
The background has a mural with a forest scenario to make the display look natural. This whole arrangement must be part of a museum exposition regarding Philippine wildlife and conservation.

And that's a wrap on today's blog post! I hope you've found it informative and engaging. Your feedback means so much to me, so please do drop a comment below and let me know what you thought. I'm already working on tomorrow's post, and I just can't wait to share it with you. See you then!

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