From Westminster to the rainforest: MPs spend night beneath Eden Project's tropical canopy

The group included Chris Law MP (Dundee Central), Lizzi Collinge MP (Morecambe and Lunesdale), Catherine Fookes MP (Monmouthshire), Graham Leadbitter MP (Moray West, Nairn and Strathspey), Bambos Charalambous MP (Southgate and Wood Green), Caroline Voaden MP (South Devon), Fred Thomas MP (Plymouth Moor View), Noah Law MP (St Austell and Newquay) and The Lord Cromwell. 

Representing communities from Cornwall and Devon to Dundee, Morecambe, Monmouthshire, London and Moray, the parliamentarians spent the day touring the charity's Geothermal energy plant, Growing Point Nursery, Cornwall College Learning Labs, the National Wildflower Centre and therapeutic gardens. 

Activities included plant propagation, crop harvesting, wildflower seed collecting and pollinator monitoring. They also engaged in discussions with staff and community involved in Eden's Nature Connections programme, and met veterans, hearing first-hand about the role nature-based activities can play in supporting health, wellbeing and community connection. 

The day concluded with an overnight stay beneath the canopy of Eden's iconic Rainforest Biome, where MPs bedded down among the tropical plants and wildlife of one of the world's largest indoor rainforests. As they slept, they shared the space with millions of ants as well as resident geckos and tree frogs, waking to the sights, sounds and smells of a tropical environment in the heart of Cornwall. 

The visit forms part of the Parliamentary Knowledge Foundation's Energy & Nature Scheme, which brings a cross-party group of MPs together to gain first-hand experience of organisations and sectors outside Westminster.  

The day’s experience-based learning focussed on renewable energy, developing the regenerative horticulture economy, strengthening nature recovery infrastructure, and expanding access to nature-based approaches to health and wellbeing. 

The overnight stay comes in the wake of record-breaking June temperatures across parts of the UK, providing a timely opportunity to reflect on the connection between healthy people and a healthy planet, and the vital role rainforests play in regulating the Earth's climate. 

Dr Juliet Rose Head of Development – Nature and People at the Eden Project said: 

"It was a pleasure to welcome the group of cross-party MPs to the Eden Project and share some of the work taking place here for people and nature. 

"There's something incredibly powerful about seeing things first-hand. Whether it's talking to veterans in our Nature Connections programme, collecting wildflower seed or learning about geothermal energy, those experiences bring to life the difference these projects can make for people, communities and nature. 

"Coming just days after a record-breaking June heatwave, the visit also provided a timely opportunity to reflect on the connection between healthy people and a healthy planet. Spending the night in the Rainforest Biome offered a powerful reminder of the role nature plays in supporting wellbeing, strengthening communities and helping build resilience in a changing climate." 

Jamie Anderson, CEO of the Parliamentary Knowledge Foundation said: 

“The Eden Project is a remarkable example of what the UK does well when it acts with courage and ambition. Watching MPs engage with their incredible range of work, from geothermal energy to nature recovery to social prescribing for people facing health and mental health challenges, brought together so many threads from across the Energy and Nature Scheme this year.”