Jason Deleeuw

Rain Forest Research Specialist
Terrestrial Biome Manager

Jason originally joined the Biosphere 2 team in 2014 as an Interpretative Specialist. After only a short time in this position, he was inspired by his experience at Biosphere 2 to go back to school and study plant sciences, during which time he continued working at Biosphere 2, occasionally leading tours and working on special projects as a student worker. While working as a student intern with the University of Arizona’s Campus Arboretum he spearheaded the effort to include Biosphere 2’s plant collection on the Campus Arboretum’s website. He also created and installed the plant signs that are visible along the walkways today. After graduating in 2017 with a second bachelor’s degree in Sustainable Plant Systems, Jason returned to Biosphere 2 as an Instructional Specialist, supervising tour guides and writing the script they would use. In 2018, Jason moved to the research side of Biosphere 2 as a Research Specialist with his primary responsibilities being management of the rainforest and maintenance of the arrays of sensors in it. He was involved in the planning, setup, and implementation of the WALD project. More recently Jason’s attention has expanded to include management of the other terrestrial biomes in Biosphere 2 with a focus on replanting the rainforest and desert biomes to increase their biodiversity and enhance their scientific value.