The beauty of the Southwest draws many students to Biosphere 2. With its open spaces, extraordinary vistas, and huge sky, the Sonoran Desert that envelops Biosphere 2 is a dramatic change from urban and suburban campuses. The programs—and the surroundings—offer students an opportunity for contemplation of nature and discovery of the awe and diversity of the desert’s plants, animals, geology, and climate.

A Diverse Community
Students who attend a semester or summer at Biosphere 2 come from a wide range of backgrounds, high schools, colleges, and majors. What first attracts them to Biosphere 2 is a shared passion for Earth and its future. What entices them to come and stay is the desire for a unique educational experience in an exceptional natural setting, where they can develop a strong sense of both community and self-sufficiency.

Through shared living facilities, course work, and field experiences, they do just that. Campus life is alive with a wide range of planned and impromptu activities—from lectures by visiting speakers to talent and art shows. Students share their artistic, athletic, and cultural talents, not to mention their cooking abilities, to create a close-knit living and learning community.

Many alumni of Biosphere 2 report that because of the daily interaction with a relatively small group of students, they get to know each other well and often develop lasting friendships.

A New Student Village
One of the highlights of campus is the new student village. Built on a ridge directly above the Biosphere 2 Lab, the new facilities opened in January 2002. The design of the student village incorporates many natural and environmental features, while providing students with semiprivate courtyards and porches on which to gather. A library/resource center, student union, and multipurpose classroom form the hub of the new village for two hundred students. Combined with existing student apartments and recreational facilities, the campus now supports a learning community of three hundred students.

On campus, you live in fully furnished, three- to five-bedroom houses with fully equipped kitchens and living rooms, sharing a bedroom and bath with one other student (in most cases).

Exploring Tucson and Nearby Sites
Biosphere 2 vans regularly transport students to Tucson to shop, eat out, go to the movies, or spend time at the University of Arizona library, where Biosphere 2 students have free access.

Just 25 miles away, Tucson is a fast-growing metropolitan area. It is surrounded by a majestic desert, numerous canyons, and rugged mountains, all beneath an expanse of blue sky. The Tucson area enjoys more sunshine—about 350 days each year—than any other city in the United States. The mild winter temperatures allow for outdoor activity during the entire day and evening. Rich in history, Tucson offers up a fandango of music, food, Southwest heritage, and attractions, ranging from a nationally renowned rodeo and a 1960s-style street fair, to acclaimed regional theater companies, opera, and a rich calendar of national touring companies and artists. Increasingly cosmopolitan, Tucson restaurants serve up Thai, Chinese, Peruvian, Guatemalan, Pacific Rim, nouvelle . American, and other cuisines, complementing the many Mexican restaurants and coffee shops. Whether your taste is hip-hop, techno, blues, folk, salsa, or country-and-western, you can find live venues any weekend.

Students often join faculty and staff on weekend hikes and camping trips to outstanding natural sites like the Grand Canyon, Chiricahua National Monument, Saguaro National Park, and nearby state parks and “sky islands.” The dramatic Santa Catalina Mountains that back the Biosphere 2 campus attract rock climbers, hikers, and even skiers. Mt. Lemmon, the peak towering above the campus, boasts the southernmost ski area in the United States. Other active pursuits include golfing, skydiving, horseback riding, and biking. In fact, Tucson ranks among the best cycling cities in the United States according to Bicycling magazine. And hiking trails abound. There are more than 165 miles of trails nearby, for the adventurous as well as the leisure hiker.

During the semester, students will arrange trips to the outstanding Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, historic mining towns like Bisbee and Tombstone, as well as local attractions like the San Xavier mission, the historical arts village of Tubac, and Nogales, a Mexican border town 90 miles from campus.

For students interested in Native American culture and activities, Tucson offers a rich selection, including Yaqui Easter ceremonies featuring deer dances and an epic, flower-strewn battle between Good and Evil; the Tohono O’odham Waila Festival of social dances to a polka beat; pow-wows; and the John the Baptist feast day, when water fights and prayers welcome the summer rains.

Sporting Events
For baseball fans, Tucson is home to the Tucson Sidewinders and the spring training site for the Chicago White Sox, Arizona Diamondbacks, and Colorado Rockies. During the regular season, students can travel to Phoenix—a 90-minute drive—to catch the 2001 World Series champion Arizona Diamondbacks in action at their brand new ballpark. The University of Arizona also hosts championship-level women’s and men’s athletic events, including softball, baseball, volleyball, football, and other sports.

Health Services
A registered nurse and counselor support students with various health needs. Students may also visit the University of Arizona Health Clinic for a nominal fee. In case of emergency, an urgent care clinic is just 15 miles away.

Worship Opportunities
The Tucson area offers many places of worship for most faiths and denominations. The Office of Student Life provides information, resources, and events related to religious opportunities, as well as transportation to a limited number of nearby houses of worship.

Public Outreach
A visitor center as well as an educational and research site, Biosphere 2 serves as a resource for the general public. With full-service conference facilities—including a 110-seat theater, a hotel, and a restaurant, Biosphere 2 attracts organizations from around the world. Columbia’s science
faculty and staff organize meetings for environmental organizations or arrange sessions on environmental topics. A range of programs are aimed at expanding public understanding of Earth systems and highlighting what the facility is doing to increase our knowledge about the world around us. Biosphere 2 sponsors K–12 educational programs, guided tours of the ocean biome, astronomy lectures, stargazing through the Biosphere 2 Observatory’s 24-inch telescope, and a host of other events. A team
of some 50 docents—mostly residents from neighboring communities—support the public outreach programs.