Students were challenged to define sustainability during the recent “Building Sustainably with Alternate Energies” Winter Workshop held at Cascade Meadow Wetlands and Environmental Science Center in Rochester. 16 students and 2 coaches from the Mankato West and Pine Island YES! teams enjoyed an education-filled day at a beautiful location where they learned from the technologies the building showcases and each other!
After discussing the possible ways to define sustainability, local expert Stefan Theimer, Education Program Coordinator at Cascade Meadow, discussed the role of buildings in sustainability. The Cascade Meadow building demonstrates many examples of ways that buildings and their occupants can be sustainable. The students explored the structure of the building,
In February of 2012, Cascade Meadow was presented with LEED Platinum certification, the highest level attainable in the LEED certification program. At the time of the award, it was the first project in Rochester and only the ninth in Minnesota to be certified as LEED Platinum. The intent of Cascade Meadow is to provide resources to “raise the water and energy literacy of the citizens of southeast Minnesota” and the students definitely enjoyed exploring the exhibits, physical features, and educational programming to better educate themselves as consumers of these resources.
