5-11-09 Monday (The Beaver)

We went to Biosphere 2 located in the city of Oracle.  Here’s some website stuff:

 

Stats on the Biosphere

Biosphere 2 facility

• 3.14 acre Biosphere facility
• 7,200,000 cubic feet of sealed glass, 6,500 windows
• 91 feet at highest point
• sealed from the earth below by a 500-ton welded stainless steel liner
• 40-acre campus
• 300,000 sq. ft. of administrative offices, classrooms, labs, conference center, housing

Ecosystems under glass

• Ocean with coral reef
• Mangrove wetlands
• Tropical rainforest
• Savannah grassland
• Fog desert

From Mesa, this was approximately a 2 hour drive each way.  We dropped off Dasher with Tim to dog sit.  A few days back Tim had commented that he’d love the company of an affectionate dog.  Dasher IS a lap dog.  Dasher LOVES to cuddle.  After we dropped Dasher of, we made our trek across a desert of nothingness to Biosphere 2.  By the way, Biosphere 1 is the planet Earth. 

By all means, read up on Biosphere 2.  It is interesting.  The tour was informative.  The pictures?  Well, I have plenty.  I will post them but be warned, I don’t remember what is what.  Be it the desert or the rainforest or whatever.  You can kind of tell by the type of plants there.  The ocean was cool, as was an aquarium view from below the water level.

Above: Biosphere 2

Above: Biosphere 2

     Above: Ocean with coral reef and fish

 

 

Above: Savannah

Above: Jim is about to get into some serious trouble.

Above: Other end of the ocean

Above: Jim exits one of the lungs.

Above: Biosphere 2

Above: All about the lungs

Above: After the tour.

After the tour, we stopped by the supermarket for bread and desert.  Jim made chili in the crockpot this morning.  Tim will be coming over with Dasher and to have some of Jim’s chili and my homemade NY cheesecake.  I even went all out by making 4 different varieties and arranging them neatly on one serving tray.  I AM the next June Cleaver.