Aquatic Biology Learning Center, Biotrek Rainforest Center, Ethnobotanical Garden

[Admin]

Aquatic Biology Learning Center, Biotrek Rainforest Learning Center, and the Ethnobotanical Garden at Cal Poly Pomona

Are you guys aware of these biology centers on campus?
I was never aware of the centers and laboratories near/inside the Biology building until I had a field trip.

Originally Posted by http://www.csupomona.edu/~sci/news/articles/monroviabiotrek.shtm l

upported by a substantial donation from Rain Bird Sprinkler Manufacturing Corporation in Glendora, the BioTrek centers feature state-of-the-art interactive educational opportunities for students and visitors of all ages.

* The Rainforest Learning Center, which is nearly 3,000 square feet in size, provides a realistic rainforest simulation with a special focus on rainforest architecture, plant adaptations, plant-animal interactions, and human impact on the environment. The exhibit contains more than 100 species of plants, as well as animals such as the spectacled caiman, the matamata turtle, stick insects, and millipedes.
* The Aquatic Biology Learning Center provides an overview of aquatic environments such as a tropical flooded rainforest, coral reefs, mangroves, and a California kelp forest. Research facilities are used by professors and university students, providing an opportunity for visitors to observe real-life research situations dealing with freshwater stream, tropical electric, sound producing, and wood eating fishes.
* The Ethnobotany Learning Center, located in a lush, garden-like setting, is a study on how different cultures use plants. Focusing on recreating the environment experienced by the Tongva, an indigenous people of the Los Angeles Basin who once settled in this area, the ethnobotany garden is stocked with plants that would have been found in those long-ago communities. The Tongva tribe are assisting Cal Poly Pomona its recreation of its early habitat.

[Puffguts]

I am aware of some of them but always thought they were off-limits to students. If they want exposure, they need to put up signs leading to the areas.

[lwong81]

Originally Posted by iKwak

Aquatic Biology Learning Center, Biotrek Rainforest Learning Center, and the Ethnobotanical Garden at Cal Poly Pomona

Are you guys aware of these biology centers on campus?
I was never aware of the centers and laboratories near/inside the Biology building until I had a field trip.

I was always interested in Marine Bio, and areas related to it. Do they offer classes we can take?

[Admin]

The instructor told the class that the Aquatic Biology Learning Center was a research lab for the Biology graduates. The center contained many aquariums and computers for their research.

I don't know much about the Marine Bio classes.

[Steven]

Originally Posted by lwong81

I was always interested in Marine Bio, and areas related to it. Do they offer classes we can take?

You can take BIO 330, Marine Biology. It will give you GE credit in the Science Synthesis category.

[lwong81]

Originally Posted by Steven

You can take BIO 330, Marine Biology. It will give you GE credit in the Science Synthesis category.

Not much use if I am a graduate student

[zoedragon]

There's a rain forest and aquarium on campus?? That's cool! I've never heard about them. Are they open to the public, or only to students taking those classes?

[Admin]

Yeah, I was surprised by its existence. The centers are not open to the public or to the students and requires a staff or an instructor with the proper access key.
Live reptiles are kept in the Biotrek rainforest center and exotic plants. You can also hear sound effects of the jungle creatures.

[zoedragon]

Ooh I like jungle sounds....

I can understand those places not being open to the public. It would definitely open them to a huge crop of problems, mostly due to the complete disregard that a lot of people have for leaving things alone. Can't keep things natural for study when people are touching everything.

[Puffguts]

"Live reptiles are kept in the Biotrek rainforest center and exotic plants."

A staff once took a yellow female python in front of building 8 and let students play with her. The python was very large, with her circular body in around 10 inches in diameter and probably 9 feet in length (the staff said a fully grown python usually length between 15-20 feet). She was extremely docile (Some said pythons become docile after feeding to full. That was probably the case as I could see the couple "bumps" in the snake) and her skin is very smooth to touch, almost like touching a fine crystal glass but much softer and slick in feeling. Such a beautiful creature.

I like Pythons. They make great pets if fed (manually) regularly. Some also like to share a bed with humans, since they are cold blooded and cannot regulate their body temperature... hmm, a bunk mate that coils over the person! Too bad any living things would be under threat if a pet python is hungry... I don't want to die from constriction, and a small baby / dog / cat would be swallowed whole.

[zoedragon]

I saw some show where this lady loved her python so much she would take the thing to work with her! She drives a Jeep and it would wrap itself around the roll bar. Pretty crazy huh?