National Science Museum Opens New Butterfly Garden With Nature Trail
The National Science Museum opened a butterfly garden and nature trail featuring nine learning stations and displays of 30 Thai butterfly species, offering hands-on environmental education to foster conservation awareness.
On July 25, the National Science Museum (NSM) unveiled a new nature learning pathway called "Miracle of Thailand Ecosystem" and a butterfly garden called "Thai Butterfly Territory" to create real-world learning spaces. The initiative offers youth, families, and the public the opportunity to experience Thailand's ecosystems firsthand through educational activities that link scientific knowledge to the environment while fostering conservation awareness and sustainable biodiversity practices. The opening ceremony was presided over by Suvrong Wongsiree, acting director of NSM, alongside deputy directors Dr. Kannika Chen and Siriprat Semsuweedee, with strong attendance from management, staff, and interested members of the public.
Suvrong noted that the world currently faces challenges from biodiversity loss and climate change, and providing people with direct nature-based learning experiences is an important mission for NSM in cultivating environmental knowledge, understanding, and conservation awareness. The museum aims to develop learning resources that allow people to experience authentic nature, as direct experience creates deeper understanding and inspires a love and commitment to the natural world that motivates people of all ages to care for natural resources for future generations.
The "Miracle of Thailand Ecosystem" nature trail was designed as a living learning space, connecting knowledge through nine learning stations that tell the story of Thai ecosystems—from relationships between plants, animals, and insects to wetlands, mangrove forests, and the role of living things in maintaining nature's balance. Visitors can learn through observation, exploration, and close interaction with the natural environment.
Another major highlight is the "Thai Butterfly Territory" garden, which features live Thai butterfly displays. The area includes an outdoor butterfly garden, butterfly house, and outdoor exhibition that convey knowledge about butterfly life cycles, diversity, adaptation, and their ecological role. The garden showcases at least 30 species of Thai butterflies and host plants, including the Leopard Lacewing, Lemon Emigrant, Lime Butterfly, and Plain Tiger, allowing visitors to experience nature's beauty while learning about Thai butterflies up close. The displays also present the science behind butterfly beauty, such as camouflage strategies, toxin accumulation for defense, and survival adaptations, inspiring people of all ages to appreciate biodiversity and participate in sustainable conservation of natural resources.
