To open in mid-2000 the gallery will feature 25 species of small animals, including termite displays, snakes, frogs, yabbies, fish, birds and eels. Cranes will be used to lift massive mountain ash trees -- the world's tallest powering plant into place. The trees are expected to grow 40-50m once replanted at the museum. The ceiling will be wire mesh, allowing sun, wind and rain to penetrate. However the forest will still require a lot of assistance to survive.
This has prompted a massive engineering system which will control irrigation, nutrient levels, wind and temperature. It will take about half an hour for visitors to wander through the gallery observing the forest through hi-tech enclosures
The gallery will have five themed areas:
WATER: where visitors can study the role water plays in forests and
be able to follow an underwater path;
EARTH: Will show the earth's movement over time with giant walls representing
the plates of the earth;
CLIMATE: a series of small enclosures will allow close-ups of small
animals - such as small insects
FIRE: tall timber poles represent the aftermath of a bushfire and the
role the plays in forest regeneration;
PEOPLE: the impact of industries such as tourism and timber forests
and the role forest play in the lives and history of Aborigines.
Museum Victoria's acting chief Dr Ian Galloway said: 'These forests
are an integral, but often forgotten part of our daily lives, 'They provide
Melburnians with their clear drinking water, a tranquil
place for walks and picnics or to build a home. "And yet the human element
is only one aspect of life and change in the forest: there is an incredibly
complex multi-layered ecosystem within this environment which most people
generally have little or no idea about"