The Ecology Center, U.S.A.
Location: San Juan Capistrano, CA
Project Start Date: June 2008
Completion Date (i.e. when project is expected to become financially self-sufficient):
Project Concept:
The Ecology Center, located at South Coast Farms in San Juan Capistrano, is an exciting new educational center, which seeks to invigorate the entire family with fun, hands-on activities that teach practical, environmental solutions at the household and community level.
The Ecology Center seeks to bring all members of the community together in a solutions-based educational setting to create a healthy and abundant future for San Juan Capistrano and all of Orange County. The Center will highlight empowering and cutting-edge environmental perspectives that can be applied to the way we live our lives, making it possible for us to coexist with a thriving environment, where clean air, water, and power are economically, ecologically, and elegantly enjoyed.
Detailed Project Description:
Our Objectives
-
Cultivate an awareness of San Juan Capistrano’s rich, cultural and agricultural history as a
road map for today’s decision-making for
tomorrow’s community
- Raise environmental awareness and everyday applications to sustainability through
exhibits, demonstrations, and seminars
- Teach everyday solutions that can make a
significant impact on the environment
Our Goals
- Connect people to their food sources and
illustrate the value of healthy, local food
- Demonstrate our relationship to our watershed and how water efficiency at home can
impact the health of the ecosystems on which
we depend
- Transform our relationship to material products by understanding their life cycles – where each comes from and where it ends up
- Empower local citizens and businesses to
adopt strategies that invigorate and enhance
our local community and environment
Demonstrations
The Center’s outdoor demonstrations highlight landscape strategies to make a difference.
The mission of the Ecology Center is to inspire and involve people in the stewardship of
Southern California’s environment, providing education in sustainable agriculture,
ecological design and the heritage of San Juan Capistrano, at home and in the community. These demonstrations focus on simple ways every household in Southern California can connect with the environment.
Examples of demonstrations are as follows:
- Backyard Oasis – how to plan and plant an
edible landscape at home
-
California Friendly Landscaping – plant selection in an arid climate; the utilization of cutting-edge water conserving technologies
-
Ethnobotanical Collection – the relationship
between plants and people historically and
today, demonstrated in the center gardens
-
H2O at Home – how to make the most of our
limited water resources; emphasizing watershed-based conservation strategies
-
Backyard Waste Management – the importance of composting and resource management
in an urban environment
Exhibits
Exhibits will be located in the historical Congdon House and rotate to address key contemporary environmental issues. Each exhibit will
focus on a practical way of contributing to a
healthy environment for our community.
Exhibitions Featuring
- Cradle to Cradle Design
- Watershed Topics
- Food and Agriculture
- Climate Change
- Biodiversity Resources
Curriculum
The curriculum will be both imaginative and
experiential. Programs will be geared toward the
widest possible audiences, from elementary
school students through senior citizens, Spanish speakers and those with disabilities. Programs, resources, and special events will
explore geography, ecology, design, global citizenship, and sustainable development in a
hands-on learning environment.
Educational Program Concepts
- Gardens for Life – basic questions and
issues addressing where and how food makes it
to our table
-
Cradle to Cradle – exploring the possibilities
of a future designed for ecoeffectiveness, where
industrial systems emulate the healthy abundance of nature
-
Backyard Skills – workshops coordinated
with current The Ecology Center exhibits in
Green Living
-
Change through Action!–off-site community
learning program
- Watershed Awareness Program–exploration
of restoration efforts through research, education, and hands-on involvement
-
Green Ambassadors–training and developing youth leaders as natural resources stewards
-
California Love–what it means to have a “sense of place”; lessons learned by our ancestors that still apply today; our relationship to
California’s natural resources
Resource Center
The Resource Center will be open to the public and will provide materials that further elaborate on the concepts introduced by the educational programs, exhibits, and workshops.
The
Resource Center offers:
- On-site library and book store
- Green household products, tools, etc.
- Books and information on green living
- EcoDirectory: Ecological local business network (on-site and web)
- Website: Resource site for The Ecology Center
Project Duration & Schedule:
We are planning for an Autumn opening! In the meantime, we’ll keep you posted on our summer events, activities, and programs.
The Ecology Center
Timeline
Summer: June:July:August 2008
Educational Programs
- Growing Healthy Sprouts
An engaging youth program, with hands-on experiences at South Coast Farms, to explore nutrition, the environment, gardening and food production.
Offered Fridays from 2-4pm: June/July
- Ecological Design for Teens
Our Ecological Design forum will explore the possibilities of designing a new future, through the lens of Cradle to Cradle design distinctions.
Two consecutive Fridays from 2-4pm: July 25 and August 01
Demonstrations
- Fundraising: All demonstration infrastructure costs
o Edible Oasis (edible backyard)
o CA Friendly Landscape
o Plants/People Garden Walk
o H20@home: Rainwater Harvesting, Greywater, Eco-Irrigation Tech., Rain Gardens, Resource Management, Composting, Recycling
o Installation
Exhibits
- Fundraising: Fall Cradle to Cradle exhibit (proposal being submitted by Material Connexion)
Events
- “Outstanding in the Field” type invitational dinner- September?
- Opening House (public event, all invited)- October?
Fall: September:October:November:December 2008
Educational Program
- Cradle to Cradle Community Network
o C2C@home- 2 workshops
o C2C@work- 2 workshops
o C2C for kids- 2 workshops
Demonstrations
- Recycling Resource Center
Exhibits
- Cradle to Cradle at Home
o Terminology Introduction
o Materials Exhibition/Demo/Examples
o Product Exhibition/Demo/Examples
o Resources
Events
- C2C community evenings
- Fall Fundraiser
Winter: January:Febrary:March 2009
Educational Programs
- Water 101- After school watershed education program for 5th graders
- Workshop Series- (focus on EC demonstrations)
o Raiwater
o Greywater
o Efficient water use at home
o CA Friendly Landscaping
- Change thru Action!- Off-site service learning program (3 events)
Demonstrations
- Rainwater Harvesting
- Greywater
- Eco-Irrigation Tech.
- Rain Gardens
Exhibits
Events
- Opening Event/Fundraiser
- Water Festival
Spring: April:May:June 2009
Educational Programs
- Gardens for Life
- Growing Healthy Sprouts
Demonstrations
Exhibits
Events
- Opening Event/Fundraiser
- Farm Days
- “Outstanding in the Field” (farm dinner event)
Project Needs:
Capital campaigns,
Educators, Docents,
Materials and skilled craftsmen
|