Environment, Natural Science and Appropriate Technology
(ENSAT) Center
Sandy Creek Nature Center
205 Old Commerce Road

Not only does the recently completed ENSAT building house a new program series of learning environments, the building itself is part of the program. A revolutionary environmental and educational facility, ENSAT provides unique "hands-on, minds-on" learning opportunities in a building that uses environmentally friendly construction techniques.

The 11,400 square foot ENSAT building provides a unique opportunity for visitors to learn about energy and "green" construction, science, and the environment. By demonstrating successful and attainable construction alternatives, ENSAT provides information on ways to reduce overall annual energy costs of home and commercial construction projects by up to 60 percent. At the same time, these alternatives can reduce the impact on natural resources.

Some of the "green" technology used in the construction of ENSAT includes: recycled and recyclable construction materials such as asphalt, carpet, demolition bricks, wall coverings, counter tops and tile; extensive daylighting through the use of light shelves and light monitors; energy efficient lights and fixtures; insulation made from recycled newspaper; heat recovery systems for heating hot water; waste water treatment through a constructed wetland; and passive solar heating.

Housed inside the ENSAT facility will be a variety of interactive learning centers that highlight the interactivity between humans and their natural environment. Five separate communities - Urban, Agricultural, Wetland, Woodlands, and Coastal - are planned to represent "hands-on, minds-on" manipulative exhibits, live animal displays, aquaria, ponds, murals, and natural background sounds. The Coastal Community has been completed and houses an extensive exhibit featuring live loggerhead turtles.

The building also contains a fully equipped classroom, a volunteer headquarters for coordinating the projected 10,000 hours of time to be donated annually, a 400 square foot joint resource room with the Athens-Clarke County Regional Library, and a gateway connecting the building to over 700 feet of Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) certified trails.

These trails not only serve the purpose of enabling the physically challenged to easily experience the outdoors, but they are designed to enable these individuals to work with groups of children as field study leaders. These leaders can provide science and natural history knowledge while demonstrating critical leadership skills. Together, the building and trails provide for a state-of-the-art environmental education program that has a special focus on visiting youth.

The number of total visitors to Sandy Creek Nature Center is projected to reach 100,000 annually within the next three years. ENSAT is also a pivotal facility in the regionally focused Oconee Rivers Greenway Project - a multimillion-dollar project that will link over 15 miles of river and stream habitat through a series of linear parks and associated trails. ENSAT will provide key educational, volunteer and programmatic services for the Greenway.

In 1993, Sandy Creek Nature Center, Inc. and the Athens-Clarke County Government jointly launched the ENSAT Project using a combination of public and private funds. The Athens-Clarke County Government committed to providing the basic building shell through the voter approved Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) funding. Sandy Creek Nature Center, Inc. committed to raise the capital funding necessary for appropriate educational equipment and interactive learning opportunities. Construction on ENSAT began in early spring of 1997 and the dedication ceremony was held on June 6, 1998.

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