Biosphere II

 A trip to see Biosphere II was on our "to-do" list this year.  It is the largest contained ecological system ever created, covering over 3 acres of land. The original structure was built between 1987 and 1991 and housed 8 individuals.  These eight people lived, farmed, did experiments and kept meticulous records for the 2 years they were there. One of the volunteers told us that two" biospherians" were later married and still live in the area.

It was a perfect day for Doris, Sandy and me to wear our Route 66 shirts.  We were even lucky enough to find another set of matching shirts at the gift shop!

Allen, Shelley and Jim stopped in front of the sign also at my request.

Covid is still around, and everyone was required to wear a mask when inside the structure which is nestled in the foothills of Oracle, Arizona.  Allen took this photo and most of the others at the Biosphere.  My camera's battery went dead at the start of the tour.  Poor planning on my part since I left the Nikon at the trailer and it had just been charged.  Allen to the rescue!

Here's our group, fully masked and in compliance with the COVID rules.😏

The tour took us through the living quarters plus all the distinct areas of the Biosphere: a rainforest, an ocean area, mangrove wetlands, savanna grassland and a fog desert.  The "bisopherians" grew vegetables, raised chickens, dwarf pigs and pygmy goats, ate fruit off the trees, fished for Tilapia in the ocean and even roasted their own coffee!  We found out that they only had one cup of coffee every 2 to 3 weeks since the process took so much time. Hard for me to imagine since both Don and I love our morning cups of coffee.  The above photo was taken in the savanna area.  Below is the ocean complete with a tiny beach.  

The majority of the plants and trees were labeled.  However, Sandy and I came across this absolutely beautiful flower that had no name by it.  I later found it that it was a Hong Kong Orchid tree, and they grow well here in Arizona.

As we entered the door into the tropical area, we immediately noticed the difference! It was warmer and a lot more humid than all the other sections.  Off came the jackets!  This area even had a man-made mountain and waterfall.

Trees inside this area reached over 19 feet tall and some of the branches were pressing against the glass panes of the structure. Some trimming was definitely needed.

The photo below was taken before we entered the rainforest area.

Sadly, the original project ran into numerous problems.  Oxygen levels ran low, plants and animal species died off causing weight loss among all the individuals. Virtually all the pollenating insects died.  There were 2 different attempts to make it work.  However, during the second attempt in 1994 the company supporting Biosphere II was dissolved, leaving the project in limbo.

In 2007 the University of Arizona acquired the facility and it is now used for research and tours.  I highly recommend going here if you visit Tucson.