This is stop #5 highlighting some of our green technology.
The ELC is the area’s premiere environmental education provider and promotes sustainable choices in our programs, in our offices and on our campus.
In 2010, the Green Building Initiative recognized the ELC for its environmental and energy efficient design by giving us the highest possible ranking of four Globes – Look for our plaque just outside the Discovery Station.
Our buildings and boardwalks are elevated to have minimal impact on the land. Our new buildings use Hardiplank siding; its fifty-year lifespan means fewer trees harvested for building materials and less waste.
And, we have switched to recycled plastic composite lumber for newest sections of our boardwalk.
We use green technologies such as the solar hot water heater that you can see on the roof above the water fountains.
We use a 2,000 gallon cistern to collect rainwater from the roofs. This water is used to flush our toilets. Look closely and you can see the gutters that lead to the cistern, located under the girls’ bathroom.
And, most impressive is our 60 panel photovoltaic system on the roof of the Discovery Station. Our Solar Photovoltaic Panels produce electricity by using special silicon cells. These cells are specifically manufactured to produce an electrical current when sunlight hits them. You can learn more about our use of solar power in the Discovery Station and at stop #13.
At this point, we suggest you go up these stairs, explore the Discovery Station and then resume the tour down the opposite set of stairs.