Burgers’ Bush: Artificial Wilderness
As the days grow shorter and colder every autumn, trees all around the Netherlands are shedding their leaves, painting the streets with the colors of fall. But ever since 1988, a small forest at the edge of Arnhem remains lush and green through the seasons. Housed in a giant greenhouse is a 1.35 hectare tropical rain forest—Burgers’ Bush. It is home to thousands of plants and animals, most of which roam freely within the enclosure. And that is what the Bush is all about. Here, the wildlife isn’t distant, behind a ditch, fence, or bulletproof glass—you’re right in the middle of it. Anhingas fly overhead, anoles scurry from your footsteps, and you can smell the flowers.
This story is the result of a six-hour assignment from the jury of the 2012 National Geographic Emerging Nature Photographer Award and appeared in part in the January issue of the Dutch National Geographic Magazine.
