Solar panel attachments can be seen on the roof of the new nature center. Courtesy/PEEC
PEEC News:
Driving past the construction site of the new nature center at 2600 Canyon Road, you might think to yourself, “What are those strange things on the roof?”
In fact, they are attachments for photovoltaic (solar) panels. While the funds may not be available to install the panels before the building opens next spring, having the attachments in place will ensure that it is easy to add them when funds become available.
In the meantime, the interior drywall is almost complete, and most of the windows have been installed. Painting the walls and tiling the bathrooms are next. The dome for the planetarium is expected to arrive and be installed around the first week in November. Outside, paving has begun on the parking lot.
Once the building construction is complete, the professionally designed exhibits will be installed. The exhibits are being custom-made for the new center.
The new nature center is a public-private partnership between Los Alamos County and the Pajarito Environmental Education Center (PEEC). Under the partnership agreement, the County is responsible for construction of the $4.3 million facility. PEEC has been chosen by the County to operate the new nature center. As part of the agreement, PEEC is planning and funding the professional indoor and outdoor exhibits for the center, which are expected to cost around $1.2 million; to-date, PEEC has raised about 90% of that goal.
Find out more about the new nature center at www.PajaritoEEC.org/TakeWing.
The Pajarito Environmental Education Center (PEEC) was founded in 2000 to serve the community of Los Alamos. It offers people of all ages a way to enrich their lives by strengthening their connections to our canyons, mesas, mountains, and skies. PEEC maintains a nature center, holds regular programs and events, and hosts a number of interest groups from birding to hiking to butterfly watching. PEEC activities are open to everyone; however, members receive exclusive benefits such as discounts on programs and merchandise. Annual memberships start at $20. To learn more, visit http://www.PajaritoEEC.org.
See a time lapse sequence of the construction on the new Nature Center here.
