BSU Nature Park: a glimpse

06-30-09

Benguet State University Nature Park is a beautiful place to visit. Aside from experiencing the cool and relaxing atmosphere, you’re also learning from the things you see in there.

BSU Nature Park is located in a place where trees and plants abundantly grow. This gives the park a breezy and peaceful ambiance. There are few sites to visit in the park and the university continues to develop the place.

The buildings at the place were built by the Japanese since the 1970’s. That is why the buildings seems to look like haunted but it gives a cue of interest.

We visit the place for our Entomology subject. Our teacher, Mr. Corcha and Mr. Effrain Magpantay, assistant research aid toured us around the park. Even just as we step out of the car, we are already amazed to see the place. It’s like we’re in the province. Though it was not my first time, it’s still nice to be back in there and breathe the comforting fresh air.

For our first stop, we marched in the insect museum. Insects of different species were displayed. As we feed our eyes with amazement, our teacher gives us some points about those insects. We had a good interaction since he entertain our questions. Since our lesson is the beneficial of insects, he emphasizes on the importance and benefits of these insects.

After which, we went to the rearing room. We had to fit ourselves in the small room. Though it was quite sophocating, I had a wonderful time listening to the lecture. The room is for the rearing of the larva and pupa of the insects they have collected. The insights given to us are very helpful in understanding our subject better.

Our next stop is the Insectarium. This is where they put the insects reared in the rearing room. It is where they observed the insects. According to Mr. Magpantay, when the host plant dies, the insect will as well die. This is why they also have to take good care of the host plant along with the insects. Butterflies are mostly placed in there. The Bee Hives however is placed outside the insectariums.

To further enrich our knowledge about insects, we also had a film showing. We watched a video about the lifecycle of bees, butterflies and cicadas. My favorite part of the video is the life cycle of cicadas. Cicadas burrow themselves in the earth for 17 years after being hatched. After waiting for 17 years, they will rise from the earth and accomplish their utmost purpose, to reproduce. After which, they will die. They only live for few weeks though they wait for several years.

For our last and final stop, we went to the Tangere Farm. In here, it’s no longer insects that are to be seen but some animals that are being observed and studied by BSU. Some of these are the monkeys, the white neck hawk, and the wild pigs. I saw the white neck hawk first while feasting on the lifeless rabbit. It’s quite scary but it was totally enjoying. There are only few animals in the farm but there are a lot to learn about them. And maybe soon, they’ll be adding more.

The scorching heat of the sun and the miles we walk was really tiring. When we went there, we rode a jeep but when we returned, we had to walk down to the main road. We’re all sweating and starving. It’s already noon time. Though we had lost much of our energy, we are still very happy to see the beauty of the Nature Park. And I proud to be a student of Benguet State University.