Welcome to the Jungle… in England?

By: Mary Kathryn Carpenter

I learned from a movie once that sometimes, as a photographer, you don’t take the shot, because you deserve some things just for yourself.

I’ve carried that lesson with me for a long time, and after taking a few frames at the Eden Project in Cornwall, I decided I’d allow the other photographers on our team to carry the weight while I took time to soak in what surrounded me.

And surround me, it did.

Overhead was a green canopy encased in an otherworldly biome that resembled bubbles left behind on the grass. Small birds ran through the undergrowth while others chirped in the branches above, flitting through orchids and vining plants.

Flowers are my thing, you see. I love flowers with all my heart. We get the chance to see these beautiful blooms that literally rise out of the dirt, through death and decay, and do nothing but bring joy with their colors and exciting shapes. Maybe some allergies too, but that’s just the price we pay. I’m even sitting outside beside a monstera deliciosa plant, listening to the birds and trying not to sneeze as I write this.

The Eden Project in Cornwall was made for people like me. The Rainforest Biome was full of flowering orchids, exciting foliage and little critters, and it was the kind of place I’d go back to time and time again if given the opportunity, and that’s rare for me. Being surrounding by so much green was just an oasis in the cold, blustery weather that was England.

I’d go back tomorrow if I could.