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[Note: This material is copyright by the Associated Press and the Charlotte Observer, and is reproduced here as a matter of "fair use" for non-commercial, educational purposes only. Any other use may require the prior approval of the Charlotte Observer.]

Earthpark will be built on 70 acres of wooded land overlooking Lake Red Rock near Pella and will be modeled after Eden -- a similar project in the United Kingdom that attracted 8 million visitors annually in its first five years of operation.

"This is going to be one of the world's greatest classrooms and through that classroom, our citizens and particularly our young people can learn stewardship," said David Roe, president of Central College in Pella. "It could very well be the salvation of this planet that we all call home."

Earthpark will feature an indoor rain forest, a 600,000-gallon freshwater aquarium, an exterior prairie and wetland exhibits. The main dome will enclose about four acres and stand more than 150 feet in the air. The park will feature alternative renewable energy systems.

Groundbreaking will begin in 2007 with completion in 2010.

The 70 acres set aside for Earthpark is part of a larger 240-acre residential, recreational and retail development planned on the lake's north shore. The development will include condominiums, a resort hotel, a restaurant, water park, cabins and a marina.

Earthpark board member Philippe Cousteau -- the 26-year-old grandson of noted filmmaker and explorer Jacques Cousteau -- said Earthpark will help showcase solutions for controlling global climate change.