By now we know we may be the last generation to witness so many plants and animals great and small. And future generations will blame us because this life is snuffing out due to our greed. Greed that insists we continue with the most elaborate lifestyle ever. And greed that wipes rhinos and elephants off the face of earth, when our fingernails contain the same chemicals as their horns and tusks. Someday the Eden Project in Cornwall, England may be the last refuge of rare plant species.
The Two Main Bio Domes of the Eden Project in Cornwall
The Eden Project is a foretaste of how earthlings may grow their food on distant planets. However its immediate purpose is to display thousands of plant species from far and wide.
Two giant Bio Dome clusters stand in a reclaimed china clay pit. Each group emulates a particular climate. There is no support work inside them. They consist of hundreds of self-supporting hexagonal and pentagonal, inflated, plastic cells within steel frames. The largest of the two Dome clusters simulates a rain forest.The smaller one recalls the Mediterranean climate.
The Heritage and the Message of Eden Project
An outside garden shelters local plants and wildlife surrounding the two giant structures. Within them, visitors follow footpaths to explore. The project was conceived in 1998 and opened its doors to the public in 2001.
Many famous artists have contributed their work in an effort to explain to jaded city dwellers why the Eden Project matters. Some may be surprised the electricity comes from wind turbines, and that they sanitize rainwater for the gardens. The driftwood sculpture of a horse at the main entrance speaks of how transient our life is becoming.
The Core beyond the Domes incorporates classrooms and exhibition space to communicate the central message. This message reminds over a million visitors a year how important their relationship is with plants. And that climate change could cause many of these resources to vanish, perhaps for ever in their lifetime.
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Preview Image: Eden Dome Clusters
