Home » Watershed Center Receives National Award for Environmental Leadership

Watershed Center Receives National Award for Environmental Leadership

by MercerMe Staff

The Stony Brook-Millstone Watershed Association and Farewell Architects LLC received the prestigious “FSC Leadership Award” at the annual GreenBuild Expo in Los Angeles on October 5. The award was presented for the Association’s Watershed Center for Environmental Advocacy, Science and Education by the Forest Stewardship Council, a national organization that certifies wood products that meet strict environmental and social criteria.

Jim Waltman, Executive Director of the non-profit Watershed Association, accepted the award for the organization at a ceremony at the Grammy Museum.  “We are thrilled to receive this national award in recognition of the exceptional care that was taken to promote environmental sustainability in the design and construction of the Watershed Center,” Waltman said. “The Center provides a great demonstration of environmentally sustainable practices that can be adopted by homeowners, businesses, schools, municipalities and others. We encourage people that are interested in replicating some of the measures we have taken to visit our Center.”

The 15,000-square foot Watershed Center was constructed with FSC certified wood, recycled and other “green” products and is equipped with a variety of technologies and strategies to conserve and responsibly manage water and energy. The Center furthers the Association’s environmental science, education and advocacy programs by providing classrooms, interactive exhibits, a laboratory, computer learning center, conference rooms, a gift shop and staff offices. The Center was designed by Michael Farewell, principal of the Princeton-based Farewell Architects.

The Watershed Center has been accorded the highest level of recognition, LEED- Platinum certification, by the U.S. Green Building Council, which promotes sustainability-focused practices in the building and construction industry.   LEED, which stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, was established in 2000 and has become the recognized international standard for environmentally sound buildings.

The FSC Leadership Award is the fifth prestigious award received by the Watershed Association in the last eighteen months. The Watershed Center has also received the US Environmental Protection Agency’s Environmental Champion Award, the NJ Governor’s Environmental Excellence Award, the NJ Green Building Council’s Emerald Award, and the Sustainable Raritan Award.

The Forest Stewardship Council, formed in 1994 and operates in nearly 80 countries. Previous recipients of group’s Leadership Award include the Rainforest Alliance, the World Wildlife Fund, and the Global Forest and Trade Network.

The Stony Brook-Millstone Watershed Association is dedicated to keeping central New Jersey’s water clean, safe and healthy. Founded in 1949, the Watershed Association protects and restores water and the natural environmental through conservation, advocacy, science and education. More information about Watershed programs, the LEED-Platinum Watershed Center and the 930-acre Watershed Reserve is available at www.theWatershed.org and www.watershed.oncell.com.

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