Kreher Preserve & Nature Center grows its facilities with new Environmental Education Building
Reading time: 6 minutes
On Dec. 7, Auburn University’s Kreher Preserve & Nature Center held its grand opening for the recently completed Environmental Education Building.
The outreach building will expand the Auburn community’s understanding of the natural world and serve as a hub for classes, workshops, events, programs + field trips.
Keep reading to learn more about this brand new classroom.
The facility’s features
Built on the 120-acre tract of the Kreher Preserve & Nature Center, or KPNC for short, the Environmental Education Building is 3,700 square feet in total. The building is comprised of many rooms:
- City of Auburn Community Classroom
- Emily Kling Discovery Corridor
- Woodland Wonders Classroom
- Teacher’s Workroom
- Display and exhibit space
The community classroom will serve as a space for members of the Auburn community to learn nature-based lessons. It will be accessible to all ages, from home-schoolers, grade-school teachers, vocational instructors + college professors. Additionally, it will be made available as “one of the best nature-themed rental venues in the region.”
After exiting the community classroom, you will find yourself in the Discovery Corridor, which houses the KPNC’s live animal collection and interactive displays. A teacher workroom, the first one built at KPNC, has been placed along the corridor.
“My favorite thing is probably the Discovery Corridor, because it’s this wonderful, open-air experience where you’re inside, but you’re also outside at the same time. You have access to see the animals — it’s so wonderful to be able to sit and watch them. The doors are beautiful, it’s a great place to sit out and enjoy the weather, but my favorite thing is that you can just sit and watch nature: you can hear the birds, you can watch the squirrels and, if you’re lucky, you can see a hawk hunt or something like that.”
~ Michael Buckman, KPNC Manager
The back of the facility contains the Woodland Wonders Classroom, the base of operations for Woodland Wonders Nature Preschool and Woodland Wonders First Class Nature Pre-K.
The room will eventually allow for KPNC to offer kindergarten + elementary level nature-based education.
Placed outside the the facility are the Johnny Lawrence Memorial Rain Gardens. Over a half-acre in size, these gardens surround the building and its landscaping uses rain from the building to minimize waste and nourish the land.
Although the center is a celebration of the natural world, this doesn’t mean it must be isolated from the technological world.
“One really cool thing that we are all very excited about is the free WiFi. It seems like no big deal, but it’s special for us, because we haven’t had good cell service across the property ever. But now, there are so many little nooks and crannies around this building where you can sit and enjoy nature and still have really good connectivity.”
~ Michael Buckman, KPNC Manager
An extension of nature
KPNC wanted to ensure the new education building leaves a minimal impact on the ecosystem and remain in balance with the forest the facility resides in. As such, the building sits on footings that hover slightly off-ground, which will help the land maintain natural water + runoff systems, while the butterfly roof structure allows for natural ventilation to increase lower energy operation.
Additionally, bird-impact film has been used on the window-covered building.
“You don’t see [the film being used] very often, and it’s so important to a building like this, that’s mostly glass [and] in the middle of the forest. It would be dangerous to our local birds without that bird-impact film. So when I see that, it makes me feel really proud and happy about the mission here — we’re doing the right thing for nature.”
~ Michael Buckman, KPNC Manager
The exposed, cross-laminated loblolly pine (or southern yellow pine) used for the building’s ceilings, floors, walls, floors + open decks was produced locally by SmartLam North America in Dothan, Ala. The use of this new, sustainable building material works to promote Alabama’s forestry-based industries — and add to the building’s aesthetic beauty.
Building history
The initial concept and design of the new facility blossomed in September 2019 by Boston’s Leers Weinzapfel Associates.
In September 2022, the project was approved by Auburn University’s Board of Trustees, with the construction bid awarded to W.W. Compton in March of 2023. After only a year of construction, the building was approved for occupancy in November.
In order to honor the contributions made by any donors, KPNC has created a donor wall outside the front entrance. Donations are tax-deductible + can be made in monthly or annual installments over five years; they will support the construction of additional classroom space and decking, and the purchase of furniture, technology, educational supplies + improved native landscaping.
More donation information can be found on the center’s website, or Heather Crozier, Director of Development for the College of Wildlife, Forestry and Environment, can be contacted at vannhea@auburn.edu.
To learn more about Auburn University’s Kreher Preserve & Nature Center and their future events, you can check out their Instagram, Facebook or website.
Want more like this in your inbox? Subscribe to our free newsletter to keep up with Alabama’s buzziest news!
