Heritage Museum holds cultural event

As we come to the end of National Heroes and Heritage Month, the Heritage Museum and Science Centre, (HMSC), on Monday, March 23, held a mini cultural event, at its grounds in New Montrose.

Persons who attended the function, had the opportunity to view some of this country’s oldest, unique artifacts and antique items.{{more}}

Founder of the HMSC, Lystra Wilson-Culzac, a conservation biologist and former forestry officer, speaking to the small gathering, explained that the HMSC was born in 2013, out of an initiative she called the Science Initiative for Environmental Education and Conservation (SCIENCE), which was launched on December 7, 2011.

Since the launch, Culzac-Wilson said they have taken a number of challenging steps forwards, but noted that she is confident that they will endure.

“Our major venture since SCIENCE is the launch of HMSC, which in itself, has been a feat and a great achievement,” she said, adding that she always wanted a place where she could merge the aspects of science and heritage.

Culzac-Wilson admitted that her love for the environment began as a child and deepened as she became older.

“I would go to an area, not too far from home and interact with the birds.”

“From the time I got there, although I did not have food with me, these two special birds would arrive and stay with me until I left… That was the start of my experience, in terms of my love for nature,” Culzac-Wilson said.

When the HMSC was launched, she noted that she had some reservations about it.

“When we began over two years ago, I often wondered where we were going to get items to fill up the seven or eight rooms we have,” she admitted.

“Even when the challenges were there, I believed that there was a reason for being here.”

Today, the rooms at the HMSC are filled to the point where they need more space to place items.

“We are so filled that we have items that we can’t even display because we don’t have space for them at the moment,” Culzac said.

She thanked all the donors for their help, and added that the museum could not have been where it is if it were not for their assistance.

Wilson-Culzac said the museum also carries out environmental tours with a focus on birding.

“This is because of my love for birds. It’s also a field that people are becoming interested in,” she added.

According to Wilson-Culzac, her organization is in the process of launching the Junior Scientist Programme, which she said is geared towards teaching young people about the environment, not only through classroom sessions, but also through practical experience.

The programme will run for eight weeks and students will be rewarded with a certificate upon completion.