Merry Lea dedicates finished green buildings on April
8
WOLF LAKE, Ind. – A windmill spins in the breeze atop its
hundred-foot tower; glycol oozes through pipes underground on its
journey to and from ground source heat pump units; downspouts
funnel water into a cistern for later use flushing
toilets.
These are just a few of the environmentally friendly features
that Merry Lea Environmental Learning Center of Goshen College will
celebrate Saturday, April 8 when staff, students and supporters
gather to dedicate the first three of the seven buildings that will
make up Rieth Village. The facility is designed to serve
undergraduate students studying natural history, environmental
education and agroecology.
The dedication will take place at 3:30 p.m. at Rieth Village,
adjacent to Merry Lea’s Farmstead, Wolf Lake, Ind. Following
the dedication, at 4:15 p.m., Luke Gascho, Merry Lea’s
executive director, will offer a guided tour of the buildings and
the sustainable features of the facilities. The buildings will also
be open for self-guided tours prior to the dedication service, from
1:30 to 3:15 p.m. Events are free and open to the public. Attendees
are asked to park in the general parking areas at the Farmstead and
meet in the nearby pavilion.
Rieth Village was conceived and designed to meet the highest
standards of the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED
(Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) rating system. LEED
buildings are required to meet rigorous standards in areas such as
energy efficiency, water management, use of recycled materials and
indoor air quality. At present, no Indiana building has attained
LEED certification, though several are in process.
The new developments at Merry Lea coincide with two recent
milestones: 2005 marked Merry Lea’s 40th year of
existence and its 25th year of partnership with Goshen
College. “It is moving to see how our history has served as a
foundation for our current objectives and our emphasis on
environmentally sustainable living,” said Gascho. “Our
mission has remained consistent over this time
period.”
Rieth Village’s first occupants will be Goshen College
students enrolled in two May term 2006 courses: one in ornithology
and a course on environmental education for prospective teachers.
In the summer, the buildings will house undergraduates taking a new
summer intensive in agroecology.
A second opportunity to tour Rieth Village will be Saturday, May
6 during Merry Lea’s annual NatureFest. For more information
on the dedication or the NatureFest, call (260) 799-5869 or e-mail jenniferhs@goshen.edu.
Merry Lea Environmental Learning Center is an 1,150-acre nature
center located in central Noble County and owned and operated by
Goshen College. It offers environmental education to over 7,000
school children each year, provides programs to the public and
serves as a research site for undergraduates. This natural
sanctuary for northern Indiana’s plants and animals, provides
environmental education for people of all ages and a setting to
recreate opportunities that benefit the human body and spirit
without exploiting the land. Merry Lea was created with the
assistance of the Nature Conservancy and the generosity of Lee A.
and Mary Jane Rieth. For more information, go to www.goshen.edu/merrylea.
– By Jennifer Schrock
Editors: For more information about this release, to arrange an
interview or request a photo, contact Goshen College News Bureau
Director Jodi H. Beyeler at (574) 535-7572 or jodihb@goshen.edu.
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Goshen College, established in 1894, is a four-year residential
Christian liberal arts college rooted in the Anabaptist-Mennonite
tradition. The college’s Christ-centered core values –
passionate learning, global citizenship, compassionate peacemaking
and servant-leadership – prepare students as leaders for the
church and world. Recognized for its unique Study-Service Term
program, Goshen has earned citations of excellence in
Barron’s Best Buys in Education, “Colleges of
Distinction,” “Making a Difference College Guide”
and U.S.News & World Report’s
“America’s Best Colleges” edition, which named
Goshen a “least debt college.” Visit www.goshen.edu.
