Eden Project - Cornwall

What a great future might look like

Things about the Eden Project and Eden Trust. The Millennium project that worked; providing education, enjoyment and employment in Cornwall.

Eden Project - Cornwall

The project site run by the charitable Eden Trust in the reclaimed China Clay quarry is split into three environments:
* Rainforest Biome
* Mediterranean Biome
* Outdoor
Plus the
* Core Education Centre
* Stage/Exhibition Centre for special events and concerts
* Entrance/Visitor Centre

For those who visited in the early years it is well worth a return visit to experience the more mature plants and updated displays.

Some strong themes that run through the plants in all the environments are their importance as food and raw materials - what goes into the local beer and Cornish Pasty.

For up-to-date details of events and admission details link to the Eden project website www.edenproject.com.
The best deal for admission - where everyone is a winner - is if you can gift aid your admission you get free access every day for the next 12 months - The Eden Trust can also claim your tax back on the entry cost for the benefit of the charity.

For the background on how the Eden Project was built and some of the enginering that makes it possible, a visit to How Stuff Works How the Eden Project Works provides a view from when the project was about to open.

The Eden Project exists in a former china clay quarry, details of the history of the China Clay Industry can be seen at the Wheal Martyn China Clay Country Park - close to the entrance to the Eden Project.

Rainforest Biome

"The world's largest conservatory"

Simulates the humid tropics, 25 degrees C, 90% humidity and 1500mm of rainfall a year typical of Malaysia, West Africa and South America. Through the mist can be seen some very large trees for a man made environment. Examples of food and raw material plants include Rubber, Soya, Cola, Chewing Gum, Palms, Cocoa, Sugar, Coffee, Bananas and Bamboo.

I could find two references to ShelterBox inside the Rainforest. ShelterBox is a charity based in Cornwall linked to the Rotary Club of Helston-Lizard who coordinate sending emergency aid to disaster areas around the world. They are supported by donations from individuals, groups and organisations from around the world. See more about their excellent work and how you could contribute at www.shelterbox.org

Shelter Box

Mediterranean Biome

Display of fruit, flowers and crops from the Mediterranean basin, South Africa and California. Vines, Olives and Citrus fruit mixed in with traditional garden vegetables.

Fruit and flowers

Tim Shaw Sculptor

Details of the sculptor behind the maenad can be found at Tim Shaw Sculptor. This includes excellent photos of sculptures displayed with special lighting designs.

Dances with Vines

Tim Shaw - dancing Maenad

Outdoor

The largest area within the site displaying growing crops, flowers, vines and crops for a sustainable future. Together with the odd quirky reflection on life and the natural environment.

Industrial Plant

WEEE Man - made of 3.3 tonnes of electronic waste that each person in UK thows away in their lifetime

Tug the natural fibre giant

Eden Project Zip Wire YouTube vids

Down the zip-wire at the Eden Project - Official footage

The Dual zip-wire which is 400m long takes you on a breathtaking trip from the top of the pit down across the outside biome, past the Rainforest Biome finally coming to a halt on to of the Link building that connects the two great biomes together. At £10 a ride, weather permitting. Thanks to: Daniel Neave, Ross Milford, Lewis Lowe, Annette Wilkinson, Jodie Talbot, Kieran Tapping, Chris Stevenson and Joe Ludlow

Runtime: 0:25 | 598 views | 1 Comments

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The Core

Educational Centre

The spiky roofed Core educational centre contains many thought provoking exhibits and resources, including what appears to be the worlds largest manually operated nut cracker and the enormous granite seed.

The elegantly designed roof of the Core hosts various types of device to capture solar energy together with the harvesting of rainwater.

What's a Biome?

Short Answer - a large scale ecosystem
Longer Answer - Geographers have defined different biomes covering the major ecosystems of the world. The biomes are characterised by climate, geology, physical relief, soils and natural vegetation
Names and number of divisions may vary slightly but
* Tropical Rainforest
* Deciduous Forests
* Coniferous forest
* Desert
* Desert Scrub
* Temperate Grasslands
* Savannah
* Tundra
* Mountain
* Mediterranean
* Flooded Mangrove and grassland
* Freshwater
* Marine
At the Eden Project their two Biomes are contained within massive hi-tec structures to allow close control of temperature, moisture and other influences in the simulated eco-systems.

Blog Posts from Google

Reptiles benefit from drugs raid: A Devon zoo and the Eden Project in Cornwall have benefited from a big drugs bust in Plymouth. Lights and other equipment used to help grow more than 1500 ...
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