The Technology of Sustainable Design Exhibit
- Amber Welsh of Timmons Design Engineers speaks to sustainable luncheon participants
Individuals learned more about sustainable design at the Sustainable Luncheon on Wednesday, January 27 from 12:00pm – 1:00pm in the Ivy Room at the Gwinnett Environmental & Heritage Center. This event was arranged in correlation with the Center’s newest exhibit The Technology of Sustainable Design which will be on display through Saturday, February 27. Members of the panel included Hank Houser of Houser Walker Architecture, Amber Welsh of Timmons Design Engineers, William Silva of United Renewable Energy, and Steve Cannon of the Gwinnett Environmental & Heritage Center. The panelists provided insight into their respective fields enlightening participants on the latest trends emerging in technology and how architects and engineers are working together at the beginning of the design process to address how resources will be impacted and how to achieve energy savings. The use of solar energy was discussed including how technology has changed and what incentives are currently available to the homeowner. Sustainable characteristics of the Center were highlighted and audience members were challenged to make a difference in the sustainable field.
Georgia School Superintendent Visits GEHC
- Steve Cannon, Executive Director of the Gwinnett Environmental & Heritage Center, welcomes Cathy Cox, Georgia State Superintendent of Schools
Cathy Cox, Georgia’s State Superintendent of Schools, visited the Gwinnett Environmental & Heritage Center on Thursday, January 28, 2010. Cox was the guest of the Lawrenceville Kiwanis Club and spoke on the current state of education in Georgia.
Cox stressed the correlation between economic development and education. “The two go hand in hand, “she said. “That’s one of the reasons Gwinnett County is the economic powerhouse it is. You’ve maintained a commitment to high quality public schools in Gwinnett County for decades. You still have some of the highest performing schools not only in Georgia, but in the nation.”
Cox was elected Georgia State Superintendent in 2002 and re-elected in 2006. This was her first visit to the Gwinnett Environmental & Heritage Center.
GEHC Host Member Valentines Event
- A string quartet from the Gwinnet School of Mathematics, Science and Technology
Members of the Gwinnett Environmental & Heritage Center were treated to a special Valentine’s evening on Saturday, February 6, 2010. The GEHC held an Enchanted Evening Nature Walk to show appreciation for its member patrons. Guests braved the cold, bundled up and were treated to a romantic walk led by a staff naturalist. After the stroll, members were fed delicious desserts and entertained by a string quartet from the Gwinnett School of Mathematics, Science and Technology. Guitar Music was also provided by John Molinari, a student at Mill Creek High School.
Member events are held monthly in an effort to show appreciation for GEHC supporters. To find out more about upcoming events and membership opportunities, please contact Jason West, Director of Development, at 770-904-3542.
Venues Go Green Too...Check out GEHC in Atlanta Occasions Magazine
- Click on picture to go to online article
The Gwinnett Environmental & Heritage Center, the county's first LEED-certified building, features a variety of event spaces, including the window-walled Ivy Room and the Blue Planet Theater, where a waterfall cascades into an infinity pool. Eco-friendly features include a 35% energy-use reduction and 50% reduction in water-use, a vegetated/planted roof designed to reduce stormwater runoff and a commitment to resource-efficient operation and maintenance.
Marketing Coordinator Danielle Wunn emphasizes that while the facility is very eco-friendly, they are open to everyone. "We encourage people to recycle and be conscious of what they use, but we don't put limitations on the choices they make," she said.
"It takes creativity to become green," Wunn continues. " You might need to do a little more research, but you can almost find anything in a green version. It's easy to find vendors who fit into the planner's shade of green."
ECO-OCCASIONS ATLANTAMAGAZINE.COM WINTER 2010
News Summary of Flyway Cities Meeting
The Metro Atlanta Flyway Cities Coalition (MAFCC, www.flywaycities.org) held their fourth stakeholders meeting at the Gwinnett Environmental & Heritage Center (GEHC) on February 8, 2010. The Flyway Cities Coalition is a National Wildlife Federation effort that brings together the efforts of local groups within target cities that are located in wildlife habitat corridors, or “flyways.” The two main goals of the program are to increase the quality, quantity, and connectivity of wildlife habitat for native migratory and resident species within flyways and to foster collaboration and cooperation among local groups with related goals. Atlanta is part of the Atlantic Flyway corridor, and it is one of the first three cities in the US to be selected to participate in this program. GEHC is a partner organization in the MAFCC. Over 30 participants from local stakeholder groups attended the meeting.
The focus of the February 8 meeting was on landscape ecology trends in Metro Atlanta. Landscape ecologists study the connection between landscape patterns and ecological processes. Dr. Jeff Hepinstall-Cymerman (Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, www.forestry.uga.edu) and graduate students Paige Barlow and John Frisch spoke at the meeting. Their presentations illustrated land use trends and predicted future changes that may influence conservation decisions pertaining to migratory species. Following the presentations, meeting attendees discussed ways that similar studies could help the Coalition’s member organizations meet their shared goals.
The Green Team
The Gwinnett Environmental & Heritage Center Foundation has sponsored a FIRST Lego League team called The Green Team. This is the first year that the Foundation has been involved with the organization, but they are excited to be engaged with not only a team, but also as a host venue for the December 5th Regional Qualifier. The Gwinnett Environmental & Heritage Center is a science and cultural education center that has interactive museum exhibits, multi-purpose trails, special event spaces, Pre-K-12 interactive field trips, and a university level teaching science laboratory. The Center's vision is to provide an exemplary, high-tech cultural center known for hands-on science exhibits and quality educational programming that inspires visitors to become better stewards of our environment. As well as to transform the concepts of science and history into interactive, learn-by-doing experiences that will encourage a visitor's natural curiosity and sense of wonder about themselves and the world around them.
Public school students, private school students, and homeschool students came together to create the innovative and unique FIRST Green Team!
2009 Reflections Competition
The Gwinnett Environmental & Heritage Center partnered with the Gwinnett County Area 3 PTA Council to celebrate the National PTA annual arts Reflections Program. The program offers students the opportunity to create works of art for fun and recognition. Students in preschool through grade 12 are encouraged to create and submit works of art in one or more of six areas: literature, musical composition, photography, visual arts, dance choreography and film/video production. In its more than 30-year history, the program has encouraged millions of students across the nation and in American schools overseas to create works of art.
Mill Creek High School orchestra students Martin Gomez, Connor Leydecker, Jarred Cook and Alyssa Causey filled the Gwinnett Environmental & Heritage Center with magnificent music on the awards presentation night!
Ecological Society of America Blog
Check out the blog from the Ecological Society of America! Participants from the ESA Millennium Conference visited the Gwinnett Environmental & Heritage Center as well as the F. Wayne Hill Water Resources Plant. Check out what they had to say about their experience! http://www.esa.org/
Thank you Georgia Master Gardeners!
The Georgia Master Gardeners celebrated their 30th anniversary by volunteering at the Gwinnett Environmental & Heritage Center on September 29, 2009. Their day of service included building raised bed gardens, creating an addition to a demonstration garden they had previously planted, and pruning and maintaining plants around the Center. A total of 60 Master Gardeners participated in this project – including the students from the Junior Master Gardener program! The day was a success and the GEHC staff is very appreciative of the hard work donated to the Center! We look forward to continuing to educate the community about the importance of sustainable gardening practices and landscaping techniques.
Come visit the Center and see the great work the Master Gardeners did for us!
