James River Ecology School Blog
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Above – Latest images of the nearly complete James River Ecology School Discovery Center on Presquile National Wildlife Refuge on the James River.
Below – Staff from Watershed Architects, James River Association and J.W. Enochs’ laying out the soon-to-be constructed student “bunkhouse.”
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You can read more about the James River Ecology School Project in the the Watershed Portfolio: http://watershedarch.net/portfolio/on-the-boards/james-river-ecology-school
James River Ecology School Project, Presquile Island Aerials (click on photos for larger images)
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Watershed would like to help highlight and support a local JRA outing, the James River Expedition.
Patrick is meeting with the group as they move into the lower James River leg of their journey, to talk about the Presquile Project, JRA’s James River Ecology School, and green building. Patrick will be spending part of the day today, Friday, July 15 with the team at the Presquile NWR, site of the future Ecology School, and is excited to have such a direct role in their one-month James River adventure.
Patrick and the trip leader/coordinator, Gabe Silver, have worked closely over the course of the Presquile project, specifically on the educational and “teachable moments” aspect of it.
Located within a national wildlife refuge, this project is the result of a partnership between the James River Association and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service to provide accommodations for JRA’s year-round environmental education programs on the island. An existing manager’s residence will be renovated to improve functionality, occupant health and thermal performance. A modular addition will house sleeping accommodations and commons space for the campers, who are typically inner city school children with extremely limited exposure to the natural world.
For more, visit the Watershed Architects Project Portfolio or read past posts below. Additional photos have been uploaded to Watershed’s James River Ecology School set on Flickr and the James River Ecology School Facebook Album.
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Design of human developments should necessarily recognize the place that people have in the natural world.
This week, one of Watershed’s local design projects was highlighted in a Richmond Times Dispatch article, “Ecology school planned for island in the James.”
This new island education center, the James River Ecology School, is being created by the James River Association (JRA), funded in part through grants from the Mary Morton Parsons Foundation, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Park Service. So far JRA has raised $548,000 of the $923,000 needed for project completion.
In the article, Bill Street, director of the James River Association, is quoted saying this new education center should help combat “nature deficit disorder.” From Wikipedia, “Nature Deficit Disorder is a term coined by the author Richard Louv in his 2005 book Last Child in the Woods, and refers to the alleged trend that children are spending less time outdoors, resulting in a wide range of behavioral problems. Louv claims that causes for the phenomenon include parental fears, restricted access to natural areas, and the lure of the screen.”
The new center will help cure exactly that. Located within the Presquile National Wildlife Refuge in Chesterfield County, the James River Ecology School will provide accommodations for JRA’s year-round environmental education programs on the island. Watershed Architects is proud to be collaborating with JRA and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service to help make this project a reality for local children.
Current planning entails the renovation of an existing ranger’s quarters to achieve no less than LEED Silver certification; in conjunction with this agenda, the project team is incorporating improvements that will elevate the facility’s energy performance to “net zero” status. The existing residence will be renovated to improve functionality, occupant health and thermal performance. A modular addition will house sleeping accommodations and commons space for the campers, who are typically inner city school children with extremely limited exposure to the natural world.
Link to the Watershed Architects portfolio: James River Ecology School project page
Link to the original article: Ecology school planned for island in the James
For more about the Watershed philosophy and concepts such as nature deficit disorder, biophilic design and net zero energy buildings, check out our Watershed Lexicon page.
