Osher Rainforest at the California Academy of Sciences

The Osher Rainforest is a ninety-foot glass sphere that functions as a self-contained, four-story ecosystem. To maintain the precise environment required by its sixteen hundred living plants and animals, the dome uses a complex network of sensors and ventilation systems that constantly regulate heat and humidity. This allows the exhibit to replicate three distinct tropical environments, ranging from the forest floor of Borneo to the canopy of Costa Rica. As you ascend the spiral walkway, you are moving through these shifting layers of biodiversity, which are designed to mimic the vertical structure of a real rainforest.