Discovering “Lost Eden”
While the original Eden is lost for good, a paradisiacal place where one can find education, recreation, and solace right in the heart of Metro Manila is the Lost Eden of BioResearch in Sucat, Paranaque City, which opened to the public in February 2007.
A brainchild of Wilson Ang, president of BioResearch, a pet and aquatic products company, the 4-hectare educational and recreational park began its development from a 1-hectare fishpond area and evolved with ideas pouring in from all sectors. As Ang puts it, “Lost Eden is a place where people of all ages can come to see and learn how man can live with Mother Nature and protect her with a Filipino flavor.”
The guided tours at the park led by “Parrot Ladies” begin with a close encounter with one of the world’s largest freshwater fish, the carnivorous Piraruca (Arapaima gigas) of the Amazon River in South America, which can grow up to 22 feet long. Next is the walk along the longest aquarium strip in country with various freshwater ornamental fishes from different parts of the world on display.
Before entering Lost Eden proper, visitors get to see the Koi Pavilion, Dog and Cat Mansion, Central Park with Italian fountains, the Rainbow Tree House built around a 200-year-old tamarind tree, the Bird Mansion, and the Turtle World. Just past the entry after crossing a wooden ridge beside the Angel Misting Falls, we see a large array of ornamental plants and medicinal herbs and the “Vegi-Map of the Philippines” with its wide collection of organically grown vegetables from all over the country growing luxuriantly. Then a walk through a tiled pathway covered with the “patented metal trellis” full of hanging squash, patola, and upo follows.
For kids and the young at heart, there are replicas of Taal Volcano and its surrounding lake, a smoking Mayon Volcano, dinosaur fossils, and a “Mechanical Park” with a decommissioned forklift vehicle and painted engine blocks to gambol on.
Apart from the usual monkeys, birds, and reptiles (there are snakes, turtles, and lizards but no crocodiles) that are common in zoos and amusement parks, one unique feature of Lost Eden is its Honey Bee Gallery where one can learn about the basics of bee-keeping (apiculture) and its manifold benefits. There’s also a Butterfly Farm, which breeds local species in captivity and the Vermi Farm with its man-made “social system” and much, much more.
Lost Eden has also been designated by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources’ Protected Areas and Wildlife Bureau as a Rescue Center for endangered wildlife caught illegally for their “R & R” before being released back to the wild. More than two dozens of monkeys, owls, eagles, and a Civet cat have so far been rescued.
Lectures and seminars on livelihood opportunities for ornamental fish raising, small animal (rabbits and guinea pigs). apiculture, butterfly farming, and vermiculture are regularly conducted by in-house specialists as well as by invited resource persons.
“We want our visitors especially the schoolchildren not only to enjoy themselves here at Lost Eden but also to learn how to take care and make a living from what Nature can provide so they can be more responsible citizens and prospective entrepreneurs in the future,” Ang said. To stress this point, each schoolchild goes home with an ornamental fish to take care of for free.
More than 200,000 visitors (mostly grade school students on field trips) came to Lost Eden in 2007. “We usually have 6001,000 visitors daily from Monday to Saturday. At one time, we had 7,000 in only one day,” said Alvin Lorico, the field trip coordinator.
For those who want a different kind of experience in knowing more about Nature and its wonders, a visit to Lost Eden with its over 2,000 varieties of plants and more than 2 million pets and pet products is highly recommended. For the admission price of P150 per student in organized trips and P120 for the general public, it’s really worth it.
Happy discovering!
