Three day vacation in Genova; Day 2, part 2: the Biosphere and dumb comments

(Check out the first part of the article here.)

Located inside the building there's also a really small tropical area. There we can observe some birds such as the fiji parrotfinch and tropical butterflies like the blue morpho. Both of these are free to fly around the room and therefore to come very close to us. We have, for example, been able to admire very closely a zebra finch while it was bathing, or some diamond firetails flying really close to our heads. Those were the animals that freely roamed the room, then there also were tanks that made it possible to safely approach (and I mean our safety) poisonous frogs or a more harmless chameleon, but I think he was "locked in" simply because it would have been too easy to take him out if he was free (and I dont't mean take him out to dinner but just steal him).

The second part of the day we dedicated to the biosphere, whose entry wass included in the ticket package we bought.
At the entrance we are greeted by a nice and friendly employee, who gives us a very accurate description of the species inside, both flora and fauna. They also clarified many of our questions about the behavior of the animals, their past and their history, where they came from and what they feed on.
In short, it was a real natural science lesson!
We learned that the superb starling is so territorial that it makes low-flying acrobatic flights over the heads of visitors; that the most numerous inhabitants of the greenhouse, some beautiful scarlet ibises, are actually very shy, with a personality that pushes them to "scratch around" on the ground only to eat, while the rest of the day they pass scrutinizing the panorama outside the sphere.
And the cockatoo? The cockatoo is the most eccentric and complicated.
With his almost human behavior, he enjoys annoying and teasing the employees responsible by perching on places where he is perfectly aware that he shouldn't climb. He approaches in a pander demanding cuddles, but ends up snapping and nibbling the employees. Even when we are talking together he must be present, have his say and express his thoughts... in his own way.

One thing I would definitely improve is the number of employees, although I realize that this involves a cost. It was a pleasure to hear the explanations of the lady that was there during the visit, especially the cuttings of "daily life" in the biosphere and the peculiar characteristics of specific individuals, all to then be interrupted by the next visitor who had to buy the ticket. Adding a person who can sell tickets if the other is busy would greatly benefit the visit.

I would like to end the visit to this beautiful area with some comments, in a sometimes wobbly Italian, left by users on Tripadvisor, the now most well-known platform on which a good portion of the web's user base looks for opinions on its holiday destinations. It will be a very critical speech, probably for some even haughty, but sice this is a subject I feel very close to, I want to clarify some things. Who knows that in the future this wall of text can help someone approach their experiences with a more careful eye.

Before we start, I would like to inform you that a new animal species will be introduced to the already known in the following text, although obviously for the aforementioned kingdom it would be an insult: the Average User.

“After the minute and a half spent to go around the sphere, I wondered what I saw and the usefulness of the visit ... no answer!”

Let's pay attention to the words of Average User: "After the minute and a half used to go around the sphere ...". It took me at least 40 minutes to walk around the area, dwelling on every plant, flower, leaf and exotic animal that could be spotted. It is a fact that this area is relatively small and with a small amount of animals compared to the aquarium above it, but why compare such different things?
I do realize that if you find yourself in the biosphere on a busy day, it may be difficult to stop in the midst of the crowd, but trying to break the record for quicker visit is perhaps not the goal we need to reach. My dear Average User, when a person faces life with such lightness and ignores all learning opportunities, it's obvious they won't be able to understand a thing, nothing can be understood if one does not want to do it.
Many wonder what the purpose of this visit is. The purpose, however, is right there in plain sight, even in front of all those people who instead of observing, studying and arguing with wisdom and rationality, evaluate their "experience" with one star out of five without even understanding half the things they saw.

“Nothing to see but trees and 2 little birds. 10 steps in a circle; paying as well...
How sad... Really little to say .. A messy set of indoor plants, four pink birds, two piranhas... If you have nothing to show, don’t show!!”

Let's briefly summarize the living forms found in the biosphere. Among the animals we have a splendid moluccan cockatoo, a small group of scarlet ibis, some specimens of a subspecies of the weaving bird family and a pair of superb starlings, as well as piranhas, turtles and a stick insect. Each of them with their own behavior, totally different from each other but equally interesting and worthy of being respected.
All the plants, alas, I do not remember, but there certainly are ficus, coffee plant, orchids and tree ferns. Some are actually plants often found in apartments, but I'm under the impression that seeing them grow florid in a favorable environment is different from seeing them grow in pots. But I could be wrong. In any case I would say that there is much more than "nothing" to show.

Furthermore, behind a similar structure there is the work of dozens of people, scholars, researchers, biologists and architects, therefore, if the animals aren't Average User's cup of tea, it would be appropriate to show some respect at least to those who have worked and still work to keep the whole thing going. A thing that, in its own small way, is nevertheless a cog in a mechanism for environmental protection that struggles to turn precisely because of the increasing number of Average Users and their aversion to learning. Therefore, answering the question about utility, raised by our subject: "For you, no use, surely. One like you is out of place here, you're right. You could instead go to a bar, where with the same 5 € you can buy a good beer, you can drink it calmly and maybe you will sleep peacefully at night, and on top of that you'll maybe stop spreading misinformation and showing everyone your terrible lack of interest in the act of learning itself".
Unfortunately, this isn't the end. With freedom of speech, some people also feel an unhealthy desire to spew their sentences without ever stopping to think about the consequences.

“[...] All in a humid environment that almost takes your breath away. Needless to say, it was disappointing...”

“[...] Cooling of the air that worked very little, in fact after two laps and with so many people one had to go out to not die of heat, they have to dismantle and redo everything! ”

Disappointing, Average User (apparently an expert in the construction sector), is your attitude.
A bit of research befor going anywhere new wouldn't hurt: the wet environment is being contested. but if Average User just thought for a second, or asked the employee there, (yes, they're there to answer questions), they would have realized that humidity is necessary for the survival of the species inside the greenhouse. I doubt that in a tropical forest there is a mild or hot and dry climate; it isn't a condition built to make visitors feel good, but to recreate an environment as close as possible to nature. Dry air can damage the animals' respiratory system, weaken plants and make the recreated habitat's climate unsuitable for them.

With an article like this it's easy to look like a party pooper or just a pain in the ass, but after years of hearing and seeing what ignorance can cause, especially in environments linked to natural conservation, you reach your limit. What pains me is that all the problems identified by the many visitors are simply non-existent and they too could have understood it, simply by showing a little interest instead of that passive and sterile attitude that is spreading in every area of everyday life. Far be it from me to demonize the action of expressing one's opinion, and above all giving negative opinions. It is legitimate and correct, because there are problems, as there are in every other natural park, museum or similar. Errors happen only when you do something, doing nothing will never create errors, this is certain. Then what exactly is the problem? It's the lack of constructive criticism. If one notices a problem, it would be a good idea to also suggest a solution, but most importantly, at least think about what are the causes of that problem. By dong that, one could even find that this problem does not exist.
No one is born an expert, but by simply asking "Why", everyone can gradually become one.

P.s: A message to parents with children who visit aquariums and natural parks in general.
Why do you have to clip your child's wings when he is genuinely interested in learning? If they want to look at that one tank a little longer, allow it. It is an experience that they can hardly live often. When your child asks you something about an animal, why don't you try to do your best to provide a comprehensive and, above all, correct answer? No, that fish is probably not a "simple" trout if it is in the Caribbean aquarium, take the time to read the name and information and report it to your child. Children are sponges for information and filling them with wrong notions is decidedly not very respectful.

P.p.s: If the employee of the area looks annoyed, although it is a behavior that should be avoided as much as possible in a job that consists of public relations, perhaps it is because they've been repeating the same things over and over to people who do not listen, all this while checking that no one is trying to steal some animals, accidentaly let them out of the biosphere, or actually hurt them.
Fun fact: employees are human.