The new Nature Center is LEED Silver certified. The design showcases the incorporation of sustainable techniques and materials. The sloped roof channels water to the building’s central spine, the underside of which is visible from the upper level interior. Water flows to a cistern at the base of the visitor entry path, creating a learning moment, and the collected water is used on-site for boat washing and site irrigation.
The building also has on-site wastewater treatment through an evaporative waterless composting toilet system, which is estimated to reduce water usage by as much as 40-50 percent, and it utilizes a geothermal system for heating and cooling. The lower level corridor further acts as a thermal mass—with a wall of glass on one side and a wall of stone and masonry on the other—providing substantial natural heat retention through the winter months.
