|
Nature
House
A
natural sanctuary for spiritual regeneration,
a living classroom for lifelong learning
Fact
Sheet | Sponsorship
Opportunities
Programs
& Services | Donor
Roll | Nature
House Donation Form
Background
| Design
Site | Testimonials
| Referendum Results
Plans | Photo
overlay Depictions
Donations: Please
make checks payable to The Friends of Reston. If
you wish to fund a specific aspect of the Nature
House, please specify in the "Memo" field
of your check.
Mail
to: Reston Association
Attn:
Ray Leonhard
1930
Isaac Newton Sq.
Reston,
VA 20190
Tax
ID # : 54-1936597
Background
Since the original Master Plan of Reston in 1964, part
of the vision for our community has been to have a nature
center. In 1967, based on consultation with the National
Audubon Society, the Reston Community Foundation wrote
that three components were necessary to make a successful
nature center.
.. land, an education
program and an interpretive building.
Since
that time, Reston Association has successfully acquired
the land and created a professional and popular program.
The missing element is a building suitable for educational
purposes on a year round basis.
The
WNEC is different from other natural areas because it
is specifically designated for nature education and
the active use and enjoyment of the site by RA members.
What
will the Nature House look like?
The Nature House will blend aesthetically with the
natural characteristics of the site. The landscaping
will include a courtyard garden that incorporates water
and trellises that are interlaced with native flowering
vines. From the exterior, the Nature House will resemble
a residential home with a gabled roofline, wood siding,
and a chimney. On the interior, the facility will include
a multipurpose room capable of holding 60 people for
classes, retreats, and guest speakers. The facility
will also have a public resource room with a nature
observation area, a library and displays, indoor restrooms,
a computer learning station, workspace for staff, and
a basement for storage.
Site
information
Nature
House will be located at the 72-acre Walker Nature
Education Center. The building has been sited within
an existing clearing for minimum site disturbance.
The new building will replace the current seasonal
restroom structure. The
parking area will remain gravel with 16 spaces added
along the edge of the existing parking area.
Plans
Exterior Rendering
click
on thumbnail image to enlarge
Floor Plan
click on thumbnail image to enlarge
Interior View
click on thumbnail image to enlarge
Interior view of public resource room, showing
observation area, displays, hearth, nature library,
etc.
Site Plan
click on thumbnail image to enlarge
Overlay
Depiction Photos
South Parking Overlay Depiction
click on thumbnail image to
enlarge
West
Parking Overlay Depiction
click on thumbnail image to
enlarge
Nature House Overlay
Superimposed Over Existing Storage/Restroom Facility
click on thumbnail image to
enlarge
Return
to top
What
are people saying about the Nature House?
Read through some of the quotes below to find out...
"Reston is the place where we live, work and play
but we need to
learn how to do so ina way that respects our
environment. The Nature House can be the focus for
environmental education for the entire community"
-Rachel
Muir Ecologist,
Former Reston Environmental Education Foundation Board
Member,
Former Presidential Science Advisor
"The best way to protect Reston's complex, fragmented
environment is to educate our members about what we
need to protect and how to go about providing that protection."
-Ken Andrews
Reston Association's
Environmental Advisory Committee
"The
USGS applauds Reston Association's plans to build
the Nature House at the Walker Nature Education Center.
The USGS has partnered with the Reston Association
for the past 6 years to provide indoor and outdoor
space for Science Camp. As communities struggle to
find a balance between development and preservation
of ecosystems, Reston can be a 21st century education
leader in environmental living. The Nature House will
be a year-round nexus to explore and learn about Reston's
great environmental treasure - its network of wetlands,
meadows, forest fragments and community-owned open
spaces. The USGS looks forward to working with the
Reston Association to provide excellent education programs
in the new Nature House."
-Charles G. Groat, Director,
US Geological Survey
"We love nature center programs because they have
intellectual integrity.
It is always more than a walk in the woods. Children
learn about biology,
botany, ecology, and real science. Our field trips
have been rained out several years. A Nature House
would make scheduling more efficient and offer year-round
programs."
-John Frye
Teacher in Reston/Herndon for over 25 years
Buzz Aldrin Elementary School
"Coming to this
house will satisfy my desire to learn. I want to know
how
the red foxes in Reston leap, how the osprey hawk
flies, and how
the carp in Lake Anne swim."
-Sean Leahy,
Graduate, Hunters Woods Elementary School
"The Walker Nature
Education Center embodies Vern Walker's vision for
environmental education for all people. Vern took
every opportunity he
could to engage the community with Reston's open
space. The year-round operation of the Nature House
will provide an exciting new opportunity for Restonians
to become closer to their natural surroundings. Vern
especially believed that a Nature House would be a
wonderful tool to teach children about nature."
-The Walker Family
Elfriede, Jeff, Christoph and Glenn
Return
to top
***
RESTON ASSOCIATION PRESS RELEASE
****
July 2001
STRONG
COMMUNITY SUPPORT REFLECTED
IN REFERENDUM VOTE FOR NATURE HOUSE
The
Nature House Referendum votes are in, with the Reston
Association receiving strong community support for
the educational facility. More than 70% of the valid
votes received reflected the community’s wishes
that the Reston Association proceed with the construction
of the Nature House. Of the 4,264 valid votes received,
3,010 were for the Nature House. Almost a thousand
votes were cast via the Internet.
The
Referendum yes vote gives the Reston Association the
approval it needs to proceed with the construction of
the Nature House, on the condition that 100% of the
funding for future design and construction be obtained
from donations. The Friends of Reston for Community
Projects, Inc., a non-profit charitable organization
comprised of Reston business and community leaders has
indicated their support for the project and their belief
that they will be able to raise the funds for the project
from corporate and private donations.
Early
concerns about invalid votes centered on the possibility
that individuals might invalidate their votes by tearing
off and mailing only the lower portion of the ballot
rather than mailing the total ballot which contained
required voter address and identification information
necessary to validate their vote. However, that proved
to be less of a problem than feared.
The
vote count is as follows.
3,010: YES
1,254:
NO
975:
Invalid due to unreadable address/identification
information
61:
Invalid due to other reasons
5,300:
TOTAL VOTES RECEIVED
The
Nature House facility, a 3,500 square foot two story
building, will enable the Reston Association to provide
nature education and camps programs on a year round
basis and to more than 5,000 additional Reston children
and adults each year. The Nature House location will
be sited within the Walker Nature Education Center,
and just off Glade Drive, between Crows Nest Lane and
Soapstone Drive. It will replace the current seasonal
storage/restroom structure.
Return to top
Information contained herein is subject to change.
|
