The Foothills Learning Center was built with conservation and sustainability in mind. We owe a huge debt of gratitude to Sustainable Idaho for their unflagging determination to make our building a teaching tool rather than just a shelter from the elements.
The Foothills Learning Center building is built with many sustainable features including: Forest Stewardship Council certified wood; "smart" thermal windows; a passive solar system including southerly orientation, eaved clerestory windows and dark-stained concrete floors; an active solar system of photovoltaic cells; heating and cooling via a ground-source heat pump; fluorescent lighting throughout the center, with several rooms on motion-detection systems; and zoned thermostats. Click here for more details on building features.
The grounds are landscaped with native and drought-tolerant plants, including native grasses and wildflowers that replaced a water-thirsty lawn. The stormwater management system includes a series of swales that collect runoff from the gravel parking lot. Hardscape was kept to a minimum by finishing patios and paths with permeable decomposed granite.
Practices in the building also look to sustainable outcomes. We drink from reusable cups and glasses. We recycle every commodity we can, and compost our organic waste either in our worm bin or in our backyard compost pile. Computers are turned off when not in use, and our printer/copier is on sleep mode whenever possible.
There is a growing display of native animal mounts in the Center. "Felix" the cougar stands guard in the lobby; a great horned owl and a barn owl hold court in the classroom. They will soon be joined by a fox, marmot, and bull snake. We are also building our collection of skulls of native animals, which will be on display in the lobby in 2009.