A Return Visit

Last year, we went to the Biosphere 2 after the UA had taken it over.  Over a year has passed and I headed back to see what has changed about the takeover. Biosphere 2 is considered one of Tucson's major attractions.  At 20 dollars a ticket, it can be a pricey entrance fee.   So I'll tell you what I know from past experiences and bring you all up to speed.

Last year I reported that the facility was in need of repair.  The good news is that the place has cleaned up quite a bit.  Of course their work is still ongoing but you can see the improvements.  Inside the biosphere, one can see the saltwater damage that has occurred over the years along the side of the "ocean".  So that's a negative but a positive to balance it all out?  The facility feels alive again with research activity and projects set up around the property.   In fact, a major project on rainwater is in the works and it will be exciting to see what happens.  As for the tour.....

I was a bit....what's the word I'm looking for?  Disappointed is too strong.  Let down?  At one point, years ago, the tour went from the ocean room into the most exciting....the rain forest.  Instead, they hit you with the rain forest room first and it was honestly a big let down.  We walked into the room and spent around 10 or 15 minutes there and left.  What's even worse?  The entrance was a closed off patio area and you looked over the entire room instead of being inside of it like before.  We once could stand in the mist and be surrounded by all the plants.  Those days are over.  But here is something fascinating.  There was a tree frog that was placed into the Biosphere from the early 90's.  Even though the place has gone through several changes over the past 2 decades, this tree frog still has found a way to survive. One had been recently spotted while they were cleaning the algae off of the windows.

Most of the animals after the '93 experiment were relocated to zoos, but some found ways to breed in secret places and today this tree frog continues to be spotted by facility operators.

Essentially you move from the rain forest, to the ocean area where you get to spot the really cool Mangrove forest, and then move into the coastal desert room.   

The route has been altered.  Before, you started with the ocean and then moved into the rain forest room at the end of the tour.  The mist had felt good:)  It was hard to imagine that it was 111 degrees outside on this very hot day in the Sonoran desert.

There was an insect experiment above and yet another experiment on water usage from ancient cultures below by a Saudi Arabian study team.  They are facing an extreme water shortage in their own country.  The population continues to rise.  The water table continues to lower. They will not be able to sustain their people.  And in the upcoming decade, Saudi Arabia will face this huge crisis.  They also import most of their food from around the world.  I guess "gas" will get you only so far.  Research is now being done to correct the mistakes of the past and they are studying the ancient ways of utilizing water again in the desert. Another write related to this topic will be coming up. I started asking more questions to myself about these deserts and found out some fascinating information.  This was the most fascinating project for me.  I didn't know all this was going on....so I learned something new:)

So my final words for today?  I'm really happy that this place is up and running again.  I'm also happy that they are using it for research.  As for the tour?  Well, I'll let you read the reviews on TripAdvisor.  It seems like most people enjoyed the tour.  Some specifically mentioned that the tour is all about the guide.  I should mention that the campus is quite excellent for wildlife watching.  So keep your eyes open.  More tomorrow....

Barn Swallows

Barn Swallow

Some fun shots of Barn Swallows.  I finally found an area where they live and breed. And here they posed for me on the Biosphere 2 grounds!  Check out the little dorms along the way and you'll see them all over the place.

On a personal note, I am working on two stories....lightening strikes around Tucson and the Plain Capped Starthroat Hummingbird.  By the time most of you are reading this in the US, I'll be up and in a canyon waiting....and waiting:)  It's a tricky shoot so we'll try this again.  I've already done it once and I keep reading the birder notes for the trek.   I am hoping to complete these two stories for an August release, but I am dealing with massive heat issues and the ever present and dangerous flooding issues around the canyons areas.  A couple days ago, I sat filming a lightening storm off in the distance.....and I got nothing!  Frustrating:)  But when it happens, if it happens, I'll hopefully be able to present something interesting for people to enjoy:) I do have a job but I'm on vacation now so I'm trying to fit as much in as I can.  More tomorrow...

Biosphere 2

The Sunset reveals a Secret Rain Forest hidden beyond the Glass Windows

 "This was not a failed experiment!!  If I hear one more person say that...." During an argument in the car before we arrived to the Biosphere, we discussed whether or not the Biosphere was a failed experiment.  I didn't think so but my other half Pat did. It was a rather lengthy chat, but it came to a halt when we were shown a movie and one of the scientists told us, the audience, that it was not a failed experiment.  Both of us laughed outloud enjoying our previous conversation even more.



The Visitor Center



First impressions.  I cannot help but feel saddened by this place.  It was a live thriving experiment that was threatened only several years ago.  It was the talk around town and it was pristine and beautiful.  Today, it is still magnificent, but the rust on the pipes is beginning to show. The place was shut down not so long ago as Columbia University which managed it didn't want the Biosphere anymore.  There was a debate for several months on who or if the place would remain.  Condos were proposed for the area and people felt strongly about leaving it as a research station.  In a bold move forward, the U of A took control of the managment in 2007. The CDO Ranching are partners in the ownership.  Today it has classrooms, conference rooms, and many other things for the public and researchers to use for educational purposes.

The ticket price is 20 dollars for an adult.  Since movies this past year have been so terrible, we felt why not help out the research and learn something new! But seriously...movies have been terrible this year.  Anyhow, the tour lasted for about an hour and a half plus another hour for all the extra stuff around the Biosphere(i.e. the ocean viewing room).  The place is located 1 hour north of downtown Tucson near the small city of Catalina.

Idiot me!  We've all done it.....forgotten the memory card and arrived at the place over an hour away with no store in site. You only hope that the shop has a disposable camera for sale or that they actually sell a memory card!!  Which they didn't.  So I reluctantly purchased the disposable camera and snapped shots I only hoped would turn out.....no macroshots, microshots, inverted shots....just general shots from a distance.  How did we ever live without digital cameras?  I could give up anything in this world but my camera.  It's an extension of who I am and what I am able to do.....I've always loved photography and snapping images of an adventure or lesson randomly taught in the middle nowhere.  The camera equals life. :) Lesson learned.  I'll have extra memory cards in my camera bag. I'll need a lot for Panama with all the video shots and pics!

Now for the fun.  I love the desert.  Please don't misunderstand me.  It's just that when I entered this magical world of plants; I didn't want to leave.....especially the rain forest area.  I was transported to another time and place.  We didn't spend all that much time in this particular biome, but while I was there, I didn't want to leave.  In typical rain forest fashion, the leaves blocked out the sun and covered the windows.  We were not in the high desert anymore.....we were in the Amazon.  Tropical plants are awesome and if the desert didn't have our frosty nights in winter, they would be very hardy here.  Once established, a lot of these plants don't require huge amounts of water.

The skinny.  Wear comfortable shoes.  You will see 5 biomes...the ocean, desert, rainforest, a coastal desert, marsh, and savanna.  The main research happening right now is focused on climate change.  The Biosphere is located on 3.14 acres. The campus is 34.5 acres.  It's 91 feet at its' highest point. It's open from 9 AM until 4 PM everyday except Thanksgiving and Christmas. The phone is 520-838-6200 or check out the website at B2science.org    Email is info@B2science.org  

This place is researching "green rooftops" in an effort to reduce urban islands of heat in our large cities.  These concrete islands are pushing the much needed monsoon rains away from the city.  This creates a stress on water use. Water harvesting, solar panels, as well as other projects revolving around a sustainable world are explored.

Because I am stupid and left my memory card in the computer, I was not able to get excellent pics inside the place.  I was so angry...and even now, while typing, I am having an issue with the terrible disposable  camera!!!  The Venezuelan Rain Forest did not come out because of all the humidity.....these pics below are terrible because they are dark and misty. It was really a cool biome to enter. Well at least you get the idea that a rain forest in all her glory is dark.....

The Biosphere is almost completely blocked out here in this huge area filled with over 90 different species modeled after a Venezuelan Rain Forest.

Notice how the plants will grab any sunlight they can get.  Here we see pothos dropping down from an opening in the rain forest canopy.

Why the name Biosphere 2? Because Biosphere 1 is our planet Earth.  Until next time, Happy Adventures!!!  And don't forget your memory cards!!:)