Fernbank exhibit explores the role of flight in nature
Among the ways animals and plants expand their worlds is by moving through the air—flying gliding or floating. Flora, Fauna and Flight, an exhibit currently at Fernbank Museum of Natural History, explores “how plants and animals defy gravity through flight in this outdoor exhibit along the nature walkways in Wildwood.”
Wildwood is the 10-acre woodland area immediately behind the museum and accessible from the museum terrace.
Among the woodland area’s natural features are now artistic representations of creatures that fly and plants that send seeds floating through the breeze. The Flora, Fauna and Flight exhibit appears on panels along the Wildwood walkway.
Fernbank’s introduction to Flora, Fauna and Flight describes it as “a variety of colorful and photo-inspiring sculptures of birds, bees, dragonflies, butterflies, dandelions, cattails, flying fish, bats and more.” It adds that the exhibit “highlights the native flora and fauna of our region while showcasing their ability to fly or glide.”
“Flight is an amazing result of evolution,” notes the opening panel of the exhibit. “It allowed life to explore and inhabit newer and higher ecosystems, creating opportunities to grow, spread, and branch.”
A panel headed The Science of Flight notes, “Whether bird, bat or airplane, these diverse flyers rely on basic physics to get and stay airborne. Lift, thrust, drag and gravity are the primary forces that impact an organism’s ability to fly. As a bird flies, lift from air flow over its wings keeps it in the air. At the same time, its weight and gravity act to pull it towards the ground. Its powerful flapping muscles give it the thrust needed to take off and move forward in the air, but drag caused by friction and air resistance constantly act to slow it down.”
Much of the exhibit is devoted to correcting misconceptions and misinformation.
“Some animals are mislabeled,” states a panel on flying squirrels. “Flying squirrels cannot truly fly—they glide. Since they cannot flap to generate the thrust needed to take off, these squirrels climb high up into a tree and then jump, gliding through the air to their destination. A unique adaptation, called a patagium, gives flying squirrels the ability to glide.”
A panel on flying fish states, “Like flying snakes, lizards and squirrels, flying fish are actually gliders.” The panel continues, “When being hunted, these quick little fish can propel themselves out of the water at up to 43 miles per hour. Once in the air, they extend their pectoral fins. These wing-like fins generate lift, allowing the fish to glide for around 160 feet.”
A feature on the Monarch butterfly says, “Most people do not think of insects as migratory, but Monarch butterflies have an annual migration nearly as long as some birds. They fly from southern Canada into Mexico each year, feeding on milkweed during their annual journey.”
While it may seem odd to think of plants as “flying,” a panel explains why plants are part of the exhibit. “Animals are not the only living organisms that use the forces of flight to their advantage. Take the prolific dandelion for example. These industrious wildflowers seem to spring up everywhere, including cracks in concrete. One reason dandelions are so widespread is that their seeds seemingly fly through the air. While they are not capable of true flight, dandelion seeds can glide or float. The top of each seed is covered with about 100 tiny filaments, together called pappus. As the seeds release from the seedhead and gravity pulls them towards the ground, the pappus creates lift…These tiny seeds have been known to travel up to 62 miles.”
Many of the panels are accompanied by artwork by local artists. For example, the flying fish panel features artwork by Crystal Bowen, the bees panel is adjacent to artwork by Allen Peterson.
Flora, Fauna and Flight will be at Fernbank Museum of Natural History through Nov. 1. The museum is located at 767 Clifton Road, Atlanta NE. For more information, visit www.fernbankmuseum.org.
