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.
. . . . . . I
was born in the year 1932. God gave me two eyes,
two hands, two feet and one heart, God’s most precious
gift.. When
I was 3 years old, my father wanted to have a photograph
of me with my 91 year old grandmother at the photo
shop. The moment that frightening black hood went
over the photographer’s head I started howling with
fear and refused to stop. This happened on three
visits to the photographer. On the one-hour walk
home, my poor aged grandmother asked to rest. At
the time there were always vultures circling Chiang
Mai City and we stopped at a tree at Pratoo Chiang
Mai gate. My grandmother found a piece of rock,
which fascinated me. It was nothing special, but
my shrewd grandmother informed me that it was a
vultures egg and she would allow me to keep it if
I agreed not to cry and stand still while the photo
was taken. Shown in the picture is me at 3 years
old with my grandmother. Inconspicuous lump juts
out of my pocket, my original prize find. It is
the first rock I collected.
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. . . . . . The
year 1950: Lt. Cmdr. Deed C. Thurman Jr. and Dr.
Ernestine B Thurman from the United States Public
Health Service were serving as Malaria Control advisors
with the project of Malaria and Filarisis control
of Thailand. Dr. Thurman hired me as his assistant
for collecting mosquitoes in the field, for which
I received the fine salary of 12 baht (30 cent)
a day and he taught me how to identify the species
of the mosquito. At this time I started collecting
insects.
.
. . . . . . In
1959 Mrs Rampa Rattanarithikul, my wife, received
her first job working with mosquitoes for Malaria
Mosquito Research project of the South East Asia
Treaty Organization (SEATO).
.
. . . . . . In
1964 the United States Operation Mission to Thailand
(USOM) and coincidentally in 1965, the Armed Forces
Research Institute of Medical Sciences (AFRIMS)
formerly apart of SEATO sent Mrs.Rampa and I to
the Smithtsonian Institute in Washington D.C. to
fill temporary positions of the mosquito taxonomist.
When I traveled to America and Europe I began collecting
seashells, fossils, rock and other natural rarities
from around the world.
.
. . . . . . From
1957 to 1997, Dr. Rampa and I continued the study
and research of mosquito borne diseases in Thailand.
Our travels took us around Thailand and around the
neighboring countries. Much of the time was spent
in villages near mountainous areas and forest fringes.
Human activities such as logging, road building,
and land clearing by fire, disrupted or destroyed
insect habitats. Most of the insects that we gathered
had completed their life cycle or were found dead
as a result of these activities.
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.
. . . . . . As
development in Thailand spread throughout the country into
the rural and forested areas, environments were changed and
habitats were destroyed. In bearing witness to devastating
effects of development, we realized the importance of preserving
all the specimens that are now rare or worse yet, perhaps
extinct. From the beginning it was our intention to build
a museum.
It was established to house the insects and other natural
rarities that the Rattanarithikul’s have collected over 50
years. The museum opened to the public in1999.
.
. . . . . . We
wish to help bring attention to the preservation of all natural
rarities while doing no harm and making no impact upon the
original environment. We wish to conserve the natural world
for the education of future generations.
Purpose
of the Museum
. . .
. . . . I
believe in God’s creation and I know how precious god’s gifts
are. Who else could have created such a beautiful and wonderful
nature for our world?
.
. . . . . . I
understand that the museum is the treasure of the nation.
I am a conservationists dedicated to nature. The museum operates
with the purpose of preserving various natural wonders and
rarities. We endeavor to educate people worldwide and encourage
young people to understand and appreciate nature’s priceless
heritage. Everybody should learn to care for and appriciate
the creation of the natural world and try to sustain its beauty
forever.
Contents
of the Museum
. . .
. . . . The
museum consists of more than 10,000 species of insect from
all over the world, 28 orders in all. There are at least 436
species of Thai mosquitoes. There are charts and diagrams
explaining how mosquito transmitted diseases work. Also on
display is a most impressive array of butterflies and moths.
They shimmer with iridescence, opalescence and translucence.
Mere words cannot describe the beauty of these creatures.
There are also the Coleoptera, commonly known as beetles.
Many beetles are large and reach the length of 15mm. Many
beetles are iridescent or otherwise widely patterned. There
are social insects, aquatic insects, insects of medical importance,
plant pests, camouflage insects, insects that mimic foliage
or other insects, as well as insects that are now protected.
There is an extensive shell collection including very rare
species and even some varieties that have not yet been named.
There are fossils of trilobites, leaves, fish, crab, shells,
shark’s teeth, dinosaur bones and also the diversity of fantastic
stone and petrified woods.
1.Insects
.
. . . . . . A
collection of exotic and fascinating specimens of insects
from around the world, 315 genera, 4,668 species. From
the tiny 436 mosquito species of Thailand to the giant
beetles and the longest stick insect in the world. |
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2.
Butterflies
.
. . . . . . A
collection of beautiful butterflies and moths from
around the world, 51 genera, 1,109 species. From the
largest butterfly and it's classic rarity Ornithoptera
alexandrae to the extinct butterflies of the world,
Bhutanitis lidderdalei ocellatomaculata.
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3.
Seashells
.
. . . . . . A
collection of exquisite seashells of the world, 98
genera and 1,674 species.
The snail from the highest mountain to the seashell
from the bottom of the ocean and the classic rarity
of Conus Gloriamaris Glory of the Sea Cone.
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4.Fossils
.
. . . . . . A
collection of fossils in cambrian period, 550 – 5oo
million years, to Pliocene period 5 – 1 million years.
Trilobites, Dinosaur bones and eggs, Ammonites, Shells,
Snails, Fishes, Shrimps, Lobsters, Crabs, Corals, Urchins,
Plants and Trees.
The Trilobites from the Cambrian period [500 million
years].
The dinosaur Neusticosaurus from the triassic period
[250 million years].
The dinosaur Keichousaurus hui from the triassic period
[200 million years]. Carapace of Sinemys lens from the
jurassic period [150 million years]. Hundreds of beautiful
species of petrified wood. |
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5.
Stone
.
. . . . . . A
collection of spectacular rocks and fantastic stones,
from the precious beautiful stone to the comical.
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6.
Natural Rarities / Natural Wonders
.
. . . . . . Meteorite
in the form of an eye. Rock in the form of the Buddha
image. The human footprint, inscribed on the stone.
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. . . . . . Visit
for a unique once-in-a lifetime educational experience.
Get to know the thousands of rarities and amazing natural
wonders; Insects, Butterflies, Sea shells, Fossils, Beautiful
rocks, and Inspirational art. More than 50 years spent collecting
and preserving for scientific study. All specimens are on
display in the museum. “ It’s worth more than you can imagine.
”
.
. . . . . . The
visitors said “This is a truly amazing and impressive museum.
There are many wonderful
specimens I have never seen in any other museum.”
.
. . . . . . I
believed in the power of the vulture egg rock, although
it is only a common rock. I believed
what my great grandmother told me that it prevented ghosts
from bothering me and giving me
good luck, I knew that she loved me very much and also I
think it is a natural thing that was
created by God and God loved me too. My heart pledge itself
to the meaning.
Painting
The
enduring spirit of painting
.
. . . . . . I
did not have any experience of painting before, but always
held the love of art in my heart. I started to paint when
I was 70 years old with an aim to do better. To dedicate
my work to be the benefit of the people, to think about
the peaceful freedom and a contented mind of living. I wanted
to put more interesting things in the museum and bring attention
to the importance of the educational experience. I would
like my art to help build an understanding of nature, environment,
social community and encouraging man to be sympathetic of
each other. The painting may present one’s point of views
or the meaning of truth with pure spirit of art, for the
benefit of all mankind both now and in the future.
.
. . . . . . With
my newly found, god given talent of drawing, and with the
help of Mr. Prajhaub who put the color to my design, I intend
to try and use this to raise money for a new museum. A building
with the capacity to display another 50 percent of specimens
collected and storage for the remaining 25 percent, which
may not be displayed as viewing may damage. These priceless
treasures lay in waiting for permanent display to the visitors.
.
. . . . . . I
choose not to sell any individual specimens that have been
collected, as each piece in it’s self is a priceless wonder.
I believe in the hearts of the people and together we can
hold our heads high with a smile on our face and pass the
inheritance of nature on to our children. The value of nature
will keep our hearts rich forever.
.
. . . . . . I
hope a painting can be a reminder of a priceless gift you
leave in this world for our children. Examples of the rare
and some extinct species that God left in our care and an
awareness of man’s disregard and destruction. Proof of a
beauty in a time gone by.
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We
never know the worth of water till the well is dry.
The first day of life in mother’s hands, our lives
are so happy.
Nature is the nations treasure. Care and preserve
for nature
and mother as well, before it is no more. |
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