Day 4: Alternative Uses of Mining Sites

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“On the fourth day, the light and seasons were created.”

Our fourth was a little different; we visited the Eden Project and the Cornish Poldark Tin Mine. The Eden Project is located near St. Austell, which is in the southwest peninsula of the United Kingdom. The project was built in a former china clay pit in 1999 and opened to the public in 2001. The purpose of this project was to prove that a devastated land can be repurposed into something beautiful, educational, and economical for the town.

Group shot at Eden Project

At the bottom of the former clay pit stood the 6 biomes of the Eden Project. When we arrived we went on a guided tour of the rainforest biome, which is not only the largest of its kind, but also the largest free standing scaffolding in the world. It is 160 meters long and 60 meters tall. Due to the height, a large balloon is sometimes used as a way to trim the taller plants. As you hike up the path inside the biome, the temperature and humidity noticeably increased. The covering of the biomes is made up of 3 layers of a thick plastic which provides insulation and a unique look to the project.

As the elevation within the biome increases, there are differing species of plants. One such plant that was identified to us was the Giant Tarro. This plant has the largest leaves in the world, and has self-cleaning leaves which have evolved such that water beads up and rolls right off.

On our way through the biome, our tour guide told us about something that most of us use every day; palm tree oil. The guide said that virgin forest is being cut down to grow palm trees. Most of the time we use the oil without realizing it since it is labeled as vegetable oil. The lesson here is to know what you're buying and vote with your dollars. Buy products that you know are sustainable and healthy for the environment.

Rainforest biome to left, Mediterranean biome to right

Outside of the biomes, there were several interesting features including a 4.371 ton, 3.75 meter tire to a mining truck, statues and sculptures, and even a hut made with willow. As a student traced the stone labyrinth set in the floor of the willow hut, our tour guide mentioned an interesting side note. Willow is used for charcoal and aspirin. He also told us that in ancient times men would give women willow earlier in the day so that later in the evening that headaches wouldn't be an excuse.:)

The whole tour had no problem engaging us and ended with a revealing mechanical enactment of what the world would be missing without plants, including items that we take for granted such as tables, milk, and clothes.

Poldark Mine guide

Whereas the Eden project revitalized a clay mine, the Poldark Mine has not been remediated. Our somewhat intimidated tour guide, who thought we would ask far too difficult questions, since he had just started his job, showed us the remaining lode of tin in the mine. Higher grade tin is darker. Several main tunnels have been widened to accommodate tour groups but still require a hard hat and the wear-with-all to climb a slippery spiral staircase. When the mine was active between 1720 and 1780, the shafts were only about four feet high and the width of a Cornish axe, which are actually shorter than most other axes. After descending a slippery narrow ladder up to 150 feet into the mine, the miners used to free the ore using wedging and explosives. The mine is not deep because the water table is high. Not only were the conditions cramped, but there was the danger of either drowning from an unmanned pump or underestimating the time required for the bird feather fuses to burn. As miners depleted a deposit, they accessed the next vein by mining out the granite parallel to the old tin deposit. Families worked the mine together in shifts up to 12 hours with no breaks. Women crushed mined stone to separate the tin and children of ages as low as nine carried the rock to the surface. Miners typically had lifespans of only 34 years. If you ever saw a woman in the mine, you could safely assume that a member of her family had passed away that day. Cornish miners were the cornerstone of the technology for mining in many parts of the world.

Group shot at Poldark Mine exit

On a more uplifting note, we stopped at one of the area’s most popular fish and chip shops, called a "Chippy" for a group dinner on the way back to the hotel.

It was quite a day, with a range on learning opportunities and even temperatures from 102° F in the rainforest at Eden to 52° F in the mine.

Sponsorship towards the creation of some of the materials for the Study Abroad in the UK trip provided by the Office of Undergraduate of Research.