WREN/education center
From Eugene Neighbors
Imagine a world class education center...
[edit] Purpose and Community Need
This will be an outdoor education center for the whole community that includes:
- A field science laboratory for all ages
- The highest standards in sustainable design
- Wetland and science exhibits
- A Natural resource library
- A community gathering place in west Eugene
Since 2002, the West Eugene Wetlands Partnership has offered environmental education programs to the community through the Willamette Resources and Educational Network (WREN). WREN has now served more than 13,000 participants through school programs and interpretive programs for children and adults out of a 30 foot-diameter yurt, WREN’s outdoor classroom. Since 1992, the West Eugene Wetlands Partners have envisioned an education center to house the growing community programs.
The West Eugene Wetlands Education Center will build a framework for learners to embark on their quest for knowledge and understanding. The program encourages questions, including: How do the wetlands function? How do other natural systems function? How is the community tied to the natural systems in our daily lives and, in particular, the wetland system? How can citizens make changes (individually and collectively) in order to lessen the impact upon those systems?
In addition to education, the Education Center is also for recreation and enjoyment. It is important to recognize that, in many cases, the main reason people are visiting the site is not for a purely educational experience. The recreational learning experience encourages the visitor to "self select" those learning opportunities that he or she finds interesting or fun.
These are the West Eugene Wetlands Education Center's specific roles in the community:
- Bring awareness to the community of the West Eugene Wetlands’ unique wetland ecosystem
- Encourage individuals who are aware and concerned about the total environment and its associated challenges
- Provide opportunities for continuous learning
- Stimulate responsible decision making on the part of the general public regarding natural science and land management issues
[edit] Education Center Facts
- In the early morning hours of December 9th, 2006, the 109th Congress passed the Eugene Land Conveyance Act, directing the Secretary of Interior to transfer 12.5 acres of land administered by the Bureau of Land Management at West 11th and Danebo Ave to the City of Eugene, exclusively for the purpose of building an education center.
- This state-of-the art education center will not be built on wetland. The building site is disturbed upland. This is the current site of the West Eugene Wetlands Project Office, a converted 20th century red farm house that serves as the office for many working WEW partners. With an address in a busy commercial and industrial neighborhood, visiting the future education center will not be a trip to a pristine paradise, void of human touch. However, it will provide the opportunity to view the balance between protected habitat and thriving human activity and commerce. This building will be a model project of how humans can coexist with nature, remaining aware of the impact of decisions and their ecological footprints.
- The architects will design a center using the highest standards of sustainability. Moving beyond the requirements of LEED Platinum Certification, designers and planners are looking at how to restore and enhance the site for wildlife and plants, including the Fender's Blue Butterfly and Kincaid's Lupine. Central to their process is asking "what will it take"? What will it take to restore and protect the remaining remnants of habitats that once covered much of the Willamette River Valley? What will it take to engage community members in collective stewardship activities that benefit these rare resources and improve our standard of living? What will it take to inspire students through science, technology and art?
