Earlier this week, South Korea's National Ecological Institute released some amazing concept pictures of a sprawling 33,000-sq.mile nature reserve.

Scheduled to begin construction later this year, the 'Ecorium', comprises of a series of interconnected greenhouses that are designed to be a self-sustaining ecosystem.

The $113mm USD project that looks like a flowing river, will be built using metal panels, wood and Plexiglass. Besides interconnected greenhouses, the preserve will also feature thousands of acres of open space that will house a large wild plant area and a wetland reserve.

There will also be a visitor center, an education center and an environment think-tank, where experts will mull over how we can preserve our environment.

In an effort to minimize the use of energy, the greenhouses will be equipped with automatic sensors that will adjust according to the external temperature.

The main purpose of the 'Ecorium' is to educate the young people of South Korea about nature and provide a place to research the world's ecosystem and how best to protect it.

sources: inhabitat.com,ecorazzi.com,green.venurebeat.com