Paradise in the gardens of Eden
Daisy Lawson explores the fabulous Eden Project in south Cornwall
The Eden Project is a structure of three enormous “biomes” in Cornwall, the middle biome being where you enter, and the two other biomes are the Rainforest and Mediterranean.
When you first walk in, you see the structure of the roof towering above your head. As you look to each side you see the entrances to each biome, with the vast expanses of plants and trees awaiting.
As you enter the Rainforest biome, you are immediately struck with the fog of humidity flowing into your lungs and the fragrant scent of the trees blowing through. You can cross the bridges dotted throughout the biome, which give you a birds’ eye view of the forestry below. As you trek along, the sound of the waterfall crashing down into the jungle immerses you into the feeling of being on an entirely different continent.
Your journey is accompanied by the roul-roul partridges who are free to roam around, with their vibrant plumage flashing by as they go. Some of the flora you can find around the biome are the magnificent Titan arum, a rare plant which flowers only around once a year, and attracts swarms of insect pollinators with its pungent smell of rotting flesh. You can also find the cacao pod, the source of chocolate, in many shapes, sizes and colours. You can find the jade vine, a beautiful turquoise vine which is endangered in the wild and even rarer in cultivation. You can find the wild banana, of which there are 1,000 types (although I can’t speak to how many of those are in the biome!) and are cultivated around the tropics. A more morbid example of the plant life that inhabits the biome is the highland tropical pitcher plant, a carnivorous species which mainly catches insects with its sweet-smelling digestive juices, but some have been known to have caught animals as large as small rodents! Although there are many more to find, one which is one of the most breathtaking is the Santa Cruz water lily, a gigantic water lily pad which can grow up to two metres wide!
Throughout the Rainforest biome, there is a great variety of areas that give information about the decline of forestry globally, how the rainforest supports us as humans, and how we can help.
The Mediterranean biome is slightly cooler than the rainforest, but still gives the feeling of being an intrepid explorer! This biome is themed on California, South Africa, Western Australia, and, of course, the Mediterranean. This biome has over 1,000 varieties of plant within its walls!
Some of the unique flora to find here is the Western Australia garden, inspired by the plant life which grows on some of the Earth’s oldest and most infertile soils, the South African garden, where one can find towering aloes and enormous protea flowers in a recreation of the Fynbos, winding paths spotted with gnarled, twisting olive trees, the ever-changing aromas of the perfume garden, and the citrus grove, with fruits both familiar and bizarre.
As you walk outside the biomes and into the gardens, you can see the spectacular sculptures dotted around the walks. One of these such things is Bombus the Giant Bee, created by Robert Bradford to remind us of the importance of pollinators to humans. As you keep walking, you may also hear an odd “whoosh” above your head and screaming in the distance. Don’t worry about calling the police, it’s just the zip wire! This attraction for the thrill-seekers amongst us takes you across the highest points of Eden and gives you a birds’ eye view of the beauty below.
There are also sculptures to find elsewhere, such as Infinity Blue, found in the Core. It is a striking piece with several holes which alternate in puffing out rings of smoke. It represents the world’s smallest but most important organisms, Cyanobacteria. However, I don’t think many people knew about that as there were gaggles of children trying to estimate which opening would puff first and would run to catch the ring in their face.
One piece which I especially liked was the imitation of Mount Rushmore. However, it had two twists. It was a sculpture of the world leaders at the time (President Biden, Trudeau, Boris Johnson etc.) and it was made of recycled materials, such as AirPod cases.
Overall, I think the Eden Project suits whatever someone wants from a trip: whether it’s comfortable relaxation in nature, a fun-packed day of activities, or a day to learn about ecology and the future of saving the environment, Eden has it all.
Daisy Lawson, Year 9
The Eden Project is a structure of three enormous “biomes” in Cornwall, the middle biome being where you enter, and the two other biomes are the Rainforest and Mediterranean.
When you first walk in, you see the structure of the roof towering above your head. As you look to each side you see the entrances to each biome, with the vast expanses of plants and trees awaiting.
As you enter the Rainforest biome, you are immediately struck with the fog of humidity flowing into your lungs and the fragrant scent of the trees blowing through. You can cross the bridges dotted throughout the biome, which give you a birds’ eye view of the forestry below. As you trek along, the sound of the waterfall crashing down into the jungle immerses you into the feeling of being on an entirely different continent.
Your journey is accompanied by the roul-roul partridges who are free to roam around, with their vibrant plumage flashing by as they go. Some of the flora you can find around the biome are the magnificent Titan arum, a rare plant which flowers only around once a year, and attracts swarms of insect pollinators with its pungent smell of rotting flesh. You can also find the cacao pod, the source of chocolate, in many shapes, sizes and colours. You can find the jade vine, a beautiful turquoise vine which is endangered in the wild and even rarer in cultivation. You can find the wild banana, of which there are 1,000 types (although I can’t speak to how many of those are in the biome!) and are cultivated around the tropics. A more morbid example of the plant life that inhabits the biome is the highland tropical pitcher plant, a carnivorous species which mainly catches insects with its sweet-smelling digestive juices, but some have been known to have caught animals as large as small rodents! Although there are many more to find, one which is one of the most breathtaking is the Santa Cruz water lily, a gigantic water lily pad which can grow up to two metres wide!
Throughout the Rainforest biome, there is a great variety of areas that give information about the decline of forestry globally, how the rainforest supports us as humans, and how we can help.
The Mediterranean biome is slightly cooler than the rainforest, but still gives the feeling of being an intrepid explorer! This biome is themed on California, South Africa, Western Australia, and, of course, the Mediterranean. This biome has over 1,000 varieties of plant within its walls!
Some of the unique flora to find here is the Western Australia garden, inspired by the plant life which grows on some of the Earth’s oldest and most infertile soils, the South African garden, where one can find towering aloes and enormous protea flowers in a recreation of the Fynbos, winding paths spotted with gnarled, twisting olive trees, the ever-changing aromas of the perfume garden, and the citrus grove, with fruits both familiar and bizarre.
As you walk outside the biomes and into the gardens, you can see the spectacular sculptures dotted around the walks. One of these such things is Bombus the Giant Bee, created by Robert Bradford to remind us of the importance of pollinators to humans. As you keep walking, you may also hear an odd “whoosh” above your head and screaming in the distance. Don’t worry about calling the police, it’s just the zip wire! This attraction for the thrill-seekers amongst us takes you across the highest points of Eden and gives you a birds’ eye view of the beauty below.
There are also sculptures to find elsewhere, such as Infinity Blue, found in the Core. It is a striking piece with several holes which alternate in puffing out rings of smoke. It represents the world’s smallest but most important organisms, Cyanobacteria. However, I don’t think many people knew about that as there were gaggles of children trying to estimate which opening would puff first and would run to catch the ring in their face.
One piece which I especially liked was the imitation of Mount Rushmore. However, it had two twists. It was a sculpture of the world leaders at the time (President Biden, Trudeau, Boris Johnson etc.) and it was made of recycled materials, such as AirPod cases.
Overall, I think the Eden Project suits whatever someone wants from a trip: whether it’s comfortable relaxation in nature, a fun-packed day of activities, or a day to learn about ecology and the future of saving the environment, Eden has it all.
Daisy Lawson, Year 9