When local botanists and zoologists dig into one of the state's tallgrass prairies, chances are they'll come across some living thing never described before in science. At that size, it fills 15,000 square feet of exhibit space, reducing humans to wander through a tangle of plant roots, fungus and insect and animal tunnels and chambers. The exhibit draws heavily on animatronic animals, interactive computer stations and meticulous re-creations of the dirt itself, right down to a wafting scent of worms. So far we know nothing about them, their role in the ecosystem, or what information or uses they may hold. We do some research in Swallow Cliff Woods in Palos Hills . . .
Life is far more diverse and numerous underground.
Every third species on the planet is a beetle. Sierwald and other Field scientists collaborated closely with exhibit designers to ensure accuracy of what is shown in the exhibit. The most striking animal in the place is an 11-foot crayfish that makes the ground tremble slightly as it crawls from the water table below up the wall of the exhibit. It is so big, contractors had to break through the concrete slab the museum sits on and dig a pit into the landfill below to accommodate it. And an earwig, the itsy bitsy bane of many a bathroom, in the exhibit is 4 feet long and acts like it is about to lethally attack passing visitors.