Biosphere 2, a scientifically engineered community totally enclosed inside a self sufficient "glass" city. Or so the story goes. Even if the plan didn't work out, it is still a cool place to see. For further understanding of what this place is about, I suggest renting the movie Biodome starring Pauly Shore. This is a comedy inspired by the real Biospere 2.  Now offers an "Under-the-glass" Inside tour. (as of 12-7-04). Due to on-going research, the tour may have restrictions. Biosphere 2 is named not because it is the second such place built, but because our Earth is Biosphere I. Facts and Figures: Biosphere 2 covers 3.15 acres. It is 91 feet at it's highest. It is sealed off from Earth below by a 500-ton welded stainless steel liner. A host of instruments constantly monitor the air, soil and water. The 25-foot ocean contains a million gallons of salt water. Biosphere 2 contains five biomes- a rainforest, desert, savanna, marsh and ocean. The apparatus houses more than 3,000 species of living organisms. (a biome is a self-sustaining community of living organisms) The current tour allows visitors inside the different biomes, including the human habitat, savanna, desert, and even the inside of the lung. The rainforest is not open to tours to avoid the possibility of contamination of the surrounding area with insects that would be dangerous to the environment.

Pictures from the Inside :

Inside the Desert and Savanna sections,
the ocean is down and to the right of the first picture.
   

In the kitchen of the Human Habitat

Going inside the Lung:

Inner Lung  

Outer Lung
 

Opening the Airlock escape hatch:

And back outside to return to the main building (did I mention there is a lot of walking?)

Biosphere 2 Center is located 35 miles north of Tucson near Oracle, Arizona on Highway 77 at mile marker 96.5

To learn more check out Biosphere 2 Center

On this trip we also visited
Oracle State Park
Center for Environmental Education -
The nearly 4,000-acre park consists of oak grassland, riparian woodland, and mesquite scrub habitats which contain a diversity of wildlife and plant species.
The purpose of the park is to act as a wildlife refuge and environmental learning center.
Learning about the environment by creating their own community from only natural resources they can find in the area.

Finding resources to survive in this area if you were a particular animal. (in this case, she was a bee). She found a flower for food and water and trees for shelter.

Guide is explaining different items collected along the trail.
The kids learned such things as grass is not just grass, but  can be food  for some and shelter for others.
Also on this trip some of us were fortunate enough to see deer. We also saw evidence of other animals, such as footprints and droppings.

More information about Oracle State Park can be found at the official web page.