Environmental Education Center

Seneca Meadows believes that environmental education is the key to establishing a better world for ourselves and future generations. In 2008, we gave action to our beliefs with the construction of the Seneca Meadows Environmental Education Center. The Center is a 3,200 square foot "green building" that is used for environmentally based school and community outreach programs.

The building, itself, houses a fully equipped laboratory, an exhibit room and office space. Every facet of the building incorporates earth friendly construction materials and function, from the regionally harvested timber framing to the geothermal heating and cooling system. Seneca Meadows hopes to attain a gold level LEED certification* for the building from the U.S. Green Building Council.

The school programs currently offered at the Seneca Meadows Environmental Education Center include:
1. High school science programs that satisfy State standards and enhance curriculum by giving students hands-on field and laboratory experience, and
2. After school programs for middle school SURGE (Students Using Resources Gaining Excellence) students that teach children science concepts, facts and theories as they participate in fun activities.

Seneca Meadows also offers adult and children's programs, at the Center, for the surrounding community. The adult programming captures a variety of interests, with speakers and classes on subjects that range from cooking classes to nature photography to hunting. The children's programs also cover a wide range of topics, and incorporate fun activities and entertainment.

*LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. The LEED Green Building Rating System is a voluntary, consensus-based national rating system for developing high-performance, sustainable buildings. LEED addresses all building types and emphasizes state-of-the-art strategies in five areas: sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials and resources selection, and indoor environmental quality. To learn more about LEED, go to www.usgbc.org.