The Eco-Sensor Network is located at the National Botanic Gardens in Dublin.

Researchers from the National Centre for Sensor Research have developed mini-weather stations to keep an eye on conditions inside the Great Palm House, the Cactus House and the Orchid House at the Botanic Gardens. Each of the tiny "mote" sensor-boards has sensors to monitor temperature, humidity, atmospheric pressure and light levels, levels in the air.

Our network of sensors sends real-time environmental data to the interactive website, eco-sensor web. You can take a look at this data on the graphing page.

There's more to eco-sensor web than just live data and dynamic graphs! We have worked closely with staff at the National Botanic Gardens to gather exciting botanical information. Have you ever wondered where bananas grow, or how a cactus survives in the desert? Inside eco-sensor web you can discover all about the plants that are growing in the glasshouses in the Botanic Gardens. You can also take a themed tour through the glasshouses to learn how people use plants, how different plants have adapted to where they live and what's being done to protect and conserve threatened plant populations.

To top it all off there's a bank of hands-on activities that you can try in the classroom or at home. Keep visiting Eco-Sensor Web to see the newest activity additions.

The eco-sensor website was designed by a young Irish media company called Do It Media (www.do-it-media.com).

The Great Palm House in the National Botanic Gardens

A mote in the Cactus house

Bananas growing in the Palm house