The Eden Project

[Susan Veness]

Would you like to see some pictures from our day at the Eden Project? Even if you aren't a big fan of all things horticultural, it makes for a lovely day out and, from what we've heard, the Christmas season is especially beautiful.

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Overlooking the Project. You can't get an accurate sense of the scale, but if you look at the large metal sculpture standing just to the left in front of the first set of 3 biodomes (or 'biomes'), that sculpture is about as tall as 3 people standing on each other's shoulders (about 20 feet high)! The biodomes are massive.

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The domes on the left side of the picture above house the Tropical environment. Inside are 3 winding levels of tropical flora...and a whole lot of heat! Some species of birds are allowed to make there homes there, but some 'interlopers' have to be removed on a regular basis, as they won't survive in that climate.

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There are a few structures in the Tropical dome, too. This one represents a typical Malasian dwelling.

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The right-hand biomes house the Mediterranean climate. The American West and other arid areas are also featured here, and one of the most outstanding elements is a grouping of sculptures depicting a festival of Dionysus.

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Love them or hate them, the sculptures do evoke an emotional reaction. (Creepy....!)

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There is even more to see outside than there is inside, with diverse sections showing off not only the natural beauty but also the gardener's creativity. This is a walk-through tunnel that must be stunning in summer.

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Again, you can't quite appreciate the size of this fellow, but he's probably another 20-footer. Huge!

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One of the Eden Project's missions is to introduce children to the wonders of nature. Primary school children are encouraged to experiment with plants, gardens, soil, etc, and many have come up with some brilliant ideas and discoveries!

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Meet Adam! Children can pull his rope and make him sway back and forth, as if he is pulling a great weight. And yes, he is anatomically correct. Shock, horror! :D

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You can't very well have Adam without having Eve, and here she is. She's sort of the 'new Eve', as the old Eve was originally located in another area and was removed when that area change. New Eve is so new, nature hasn't had time to clothe her yet, but in a year's time she'll have a lovely green robe made of moss.

But the Eden Project isn't just about nature. They also do concerts (our friend saw Peter Gabriel and another well known group whose name I can't remember now), they have special events and, during our stay, they have a skating rink the whole family can enjoy.

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Yes, Ladies and Gentlemen, it's Simon on skates...for the first time!

[Catlady]

It really is a wonderful place to visit. When we were walking around the Mediterranean dome we saw a little flock of robins who seemed very tame. I enjoyed the Tropical zone but boy was it hot.:sweat:
Ok Simon how well did you skate?:D

[Simon Veness]

That's not me, it's an imposter :tut-tut: But, if it WAS me, I would say I managed to survive about 20 or so laps of the rink without falling over once :D (but there was a convenient outside rail to hang on to for much of the time!)

[Susan Veness]

Don't let him fool you. He was fantastic! :happy-thumb

[sex kitten]

You seem to have had a wonderful trip to the Eden Project.
It is on my must do list for when I get to go back down that way. :)

[Millie]

Great photos, we are hoping to pop back down to the Eden Project in the next few weeks due to our tickets still valid from last Easter.