Botanical Gardens

I went to the Botanical Gardens for lunch and to explore around a bit (and I got to talk to the head of horticulture or something to that effect and I got the contact info for two people to work on my project!) and I greatly enjoyed the experience.

I liked that you had to go through the first main exhibit (the desert environment) to get to the second (the rain forest environment). The rain forest exhibit had a stairway (or an elevator, but I decided to get my exercise and take the stairs) that led up to a second level where one can look out and see the top of the plants and a few more butterflies that were fluttering around. I personally liked the way the museum was laid out and wouldn't change much, though there was one room (and Anna can attest to this) that was rather dark and it was right after a very light room, so I couldn't really see where I was going. I managed though...the room wasn't too big and there was only one way out and nothing really to walk into or trip over. So perhaps, if I were curator of the museum, I might put a small light in that room. :]

In talking briefly to the women involved in the environmental education (I think that's what their business cards said), I got some great ideas for a project. I might do something on the carbon footprint of Cleveland or Botanical Gardens specifically, since they said that the glasshouse would be getting a "green roof" and they also suggested I could write about the environmental impact the plants themselves are making on local environment and such. I'll be looking into this topic a lot more and I'll definitely be doing an interview or two in the next two months!