Follow the Flow to Watersheds at the Biosphere
Watershed Exhibition
By Wendi Liu and Tian Hui Wang
This summer, the iconic landmark Montreal Biosphere introduces its newest exhibition: Watersheds! Follow the Flow, an immersive experience that explores the inner workings of a watershed. Located in the heart of Jean-Drapeau Park, this visit is great for groups and families. It offers an educational and relaxing alternative to the scorching outdoors.
Known for its unique architecture, the geodesic dome is composed of a network of cell-shaped building blocks. Originally built by the Buckminster Fuller for Expo 67, the museum has been housing various environmental exhibitions for years.
As we stepped into the dim entrance of the exhibition, we noticed a small box of plastic “raindrops”, which vaguely resembled ping-pong balls. After selecting a raindrop and dropping it into a small opening, a screen allowed us to make customizable changes to our newly adopted friend. We were now ready to take on the journey of a water drop.
As we walked through exhibitions of each step of the water cycle, we placed our raindrop next to the screen to activate videos that expanded our knowledge on topics such as the local fauna and flora of the St-Lawrence river. Visitors were further encouraged to learn through sensory experience. We uncovered hidden peepholes to glance at pictures of aquatic species or to smell the perfume of the earthy scents of wetlands. We listened to the soothing sounds of waterfalls and smaller water streams and felt the texture of different river stones. As we approached the end of the exhibition, we dropped our adopted raindrop into a hole and watched as it got launched into a 3D cloud structure. Actual raindrops then fell out of the clouds, marking both the end of the water cycle and our time at the exhibition.
The experience doesn’t end with the exhibition, after exiting the display area, remember to drop by the neighboring exhibitions, as well as the platforms on the higher floors. Located on the two top floors of the Biosphere, the platforms, sheltered by the cell-shaped pavilion, offer a beautiful 360 degrees view of the city of Montreal and its South Shore. Oddly reminiscent of the Jurassic Park buildings (as Wendi suggests), this is the perfect place to take landscape and group pictures.
Originally conceived by the UQAM and produced by TKNL, Watersheds! Follow the Flow will be accessible till December 31. This immersive adventure doubles into the perfect opportunity for a field trip day! You can get your tickets HERE
