Eden Project

Opened in March 2001, the Eden Project consists of two enormous greenhouses built into a 50-metre- (164ft-) deep claypit overlooking St Austell Bay in Cornwall. Through plants, the dome promotes environmental awareness enabling visitors to understand ‘the vital relationship between plants, people and resources’. The most impressive of the two giant domes is the Humid Tropics Biome that’s filled with towering plants from the tropics, including balsa teak and mahogany, and there is also a Malaysian stilt house and garden as an example of how one culture uses its natural resources to survive. The second dome, the Warm Temperate Biome, contains plants from California, the Mediterranean and South Africa, such as lemon groves and olive trees. Visitors follow a path around the biomes, stopping to hear talks and sketches on the plants and learn about their uses from interactive displays; for those with a particular interest, there are themed trails, such as plants and medicine and plants and sport. Outside, 10 hectares (25 acres) of landscaped rockeries and gardens provide the setting for various events, including puppet shows and storytelling for children; visitors of all ages can discover more about natural products through chocolate days, tea-tasting and dyeing workshops.