The Press Citizen printed this guest opinion in favor of the fake rainforest in Coralville.
"Then, in late January, a local newspaper headline changed my future and my life in an instant. The article told of a project that would have the power to inspire the world.

There was a feeling of certainty, purpose, excitement and several nights of very little sleep as I thought endlessly about how the Iowa Environmental/Education Project in Coralville would change Iowa and the planet. Visions of a place where visitors could explore and learn about the splendor of the Earth's natural beauty and work side by side with real scientists doing real research made my heart flutter with elation."

The melodrama is too thick. . . . An eager young student, poised on the brink of leaving the safety of the cornfields for the mean streets of some dank urban jungle. She is stopped in her tracks by a single newspaper headline of awesome power. A power so amazing, it instantly renders her an insomniac with a serious heart condition. She pauses to ponder the meaning of it all. In a flash of inspiration, her eyes are opened to the earth-transforming potential of a large, expensive building tastefully decorated with a "artificial forestry meets science lab" motif. She realizes her destiny lies not in the dark alleys of the cold, cruel city, but in the welcoming bosom of her homeland. She will become a true partner with the land that birthed her, a fellow-sojourner in the critical search for truly huge simulated ecosystems. Let the building begin!!!!

. . .

I know it's an opinion article, but seriously.