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Oct. 8, 2026

Media Advisory: Lofty walkways allow researchers and students to study Biosphere 2 rainforest from above

TUCSON, Ariz. — Media are invited to a ribbon-cutting ceremony celebrating the completion of three walkways strung throughout the rain forest biome at the University of Arizona's Biosphere 2. The new walkways were designed to give researchers and students access and expand the types of measurements and experiments that can be conducted within the Biosphere 2 rainforest.

With some trees topping 90 feet, researchers needed an easier way up into the canopy to study rain forest resilience and better predict how real forests might fare under environmental stress. The walkways give students and researchers safe access to the upper canopy, which is more than 70 feet high.

Funded by a Provost Investment Fund grant, the walkways were installed during the spring 2026 semester, under direction of Biosphere 2 Rainforest Research Director Joost van Haren.

Van Haren's research examines how tropical rainforests respond to changing environmental conditions, including drought and increased temperatures. Understanding what is happening at ground level provides only part of the picture. It is equally important to understand how the upper canopy responds at multiple heights.

Each walkway consists of five cables, including one overhead cable workers can clip into as an extra safety precaution, and fall-rated netting wraps beneath the entirety of the walkways.

"The walkways really give you nice accessibility, and it's much easier than training students to actually climb the space frame – the biome's extensive surrounding structural framework – that they previously had to scale by hand," van Haren said.

The following experts will be present at the ceremony and available for interviews:

  • Jenna Rickus, senior vice provost
  • Amy Kimme Hea, interim vice provost of academic affairs 
  • Joost van Haren, director of rain forest research at Biosphere 2
  • Laura Condon, interim director of Biosphere 2
  • Undergraduate student researchers

Media contact:
University Communications
520-621-8747
media_requests@list.arizona.edu

Established in 1885, the University of Arizona is the state's flagship, land-grant institution. The U of A ranks among America's top institutions, focusing on student access and success while driving a $1 billion research enterprise and engaging communities throughout the state, nation and world. As a leading Research 1 institution and member of the Association of American Universities, the U of A advances the frontiers of interdisciplinary scholarship and entrepreneurial partnerships. With two accredited medical schools, designation as a Hispanic-Serving Institution by the U.S. Department of Education, recognition as a premier university for service members, distinguished programs in management information systems, planetary sciences, dance, photography, and public and applied humanities, the U of A offers the world to its students while uplifting Arizona.

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Biosphere 2