BioTrek invites campus to come visit CPP’s own reptiles
By Brandon Bocanegra, April 22, 2026
Just across from the Huntley College of Agriculture lies a large greenhouse secluded in foliage known as the BioTrek Rain Bird Rainforest Learning Center, home to the reptiles taken care of by students at Cal Poly Pomona.
There are currently six reptiles who live in BioTrek, including a green iguana named Galileo, a Solomon Island skink named Ren, a boa constrictor named David Boa, a panther chameleon named Pascal and two dwarf caimans named Jacaré and Iara.
The center’s most popular duo are sisters Jacaré and Iara who have been on campus for seven years, according to the program’s current curator Edward Bobich. Jacaré can be identified as being the bigger caiman, having a larger body and head, and is usually sunbathing on the rock pad closest to the glass. Iara can be seen either peeking her head above water or atop a rock wall in the left corner of their enclosure.
Michelle Terrazino, the horticultural technician at BioTrek, is responsible for day-to-day operations such as maintaining plants inside the center, weeding the gardens, pruning and keeping walkways clear and safe for visitors in each area.
Currently, the center is preparing a habitat for a new mountain horned dragon coming soon to the center. Currently a baby, it will be moved into a BioTrek enclosure when it is big enough to be easily spotted by staff and visitors.
“Look forward to Earth Week, which is April 20th to the 24th,” Terrazino said. “We’re going to have an event here in our gathering circle in the Ethnobotany Garden and hope to show a documentary in the museum up here.”
The BioTrek opened to the public in 2002, starting with the Rain Bird Rainforest Learning Center and the Ethnobotany Garden, according to Bobich. Later, BioTrek opened the Mesozoic Garden, located between buildings two and three, and Project Blue, a spring habitat located behind building one.
The Rain Bird Rainforest Learning Center has two parts: the foyer, which displays reptile habitats visitors see upon entry, and the rainforest greenhouse section with a caiman enclosure, waterfall and a variety of exotic plants, including cacao trees.
The BioTrek currently has 16 student workers, according to Terrazino, who assist in the maintenance of gardens, conducting tours and taking care of the center’s animals. Architecture student Javier Valderrama has worked at BioTrek for two years and is responsible for giving tours to K-12 students Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10 a.m. to noon.
“You teach them about different areas of the garden and BioTrek itself,” Valderrama said. “It’s really fun to teach them about sustainable energy about plants.”
Valderrama believes BioTrek has been a great opportunity for him to learn how to cultivate gardens successfully while also incorporating architecture and making it look pretty. He referred to BioTrek as a little secret he would love to be not so secret anymore.
The center recently replaced its evaporative cooler that leaked water, which will allow the center to stay cooler, especially during the summertime.
“If we didn’t have an evaporative cooler in here, it would get well over 100 degrees most days in the rainforest,” Bobich said. “It wouldn’t be good for the animals either, so it’s here to primarily to keep plants and animals at a livable temperature.”
Students interested in learning more about BioTrek can follow its official Instagram page @biotrekcpp to watch for upcoming events, general updates for the learning center and gardens or can plan a visit during hours of operation.
The Rain Bird Rainforest Learning Center is open to the public Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. when the glass door is unlocked. The gardens located around campus are open to the public every day of the week at all hours, although Bobich does not recommend coming after it gets dark.
“Where else on campus are you going to see a caiman, a green iguana and a boa constrictor?” Bobich asked. “We’re a really unique resource that I really want the whole campus community to experience.”
