Thanks so much for sharing Black Rock Forest Consortium's challenges in getting a small wind turbine installed on its grounds.
I'd love to go a little further back in your history and learn more about how your organization became committed to alternative technologies, the process of brainstorming and building the Science Center, and how what you've learned is being applied to your wind turbine project.
Our commitment to alternative technologies arises from our mission, which is to advance environmental understanding through research, education and conservation programs. We have a number of scientists who research the ecological impact of human fossil fuel use, in the form of acid deposition and mercury deposition at Black Rock Forest. In fact our main research project, the Future of Oak Forests program, was begun a few years ago in response to a documented trend of oak tree loss at the Forest. Mature oaks are dying three times faster than they used to, probably due to soil-based stressors, including soil acidification, and probably also due to climate change, as a slight increase in average temperature over the past few decades has led to increased incidence of drought.
Research like this heightens awareness of the need to explore clean energy alternatives! In addition, we do a great deal of science education at the Forest and our solar arrays and other technologies are great teaching tools. We log and store data on how the arrays are functioning, so it's possible for teachers to have students use "real world" information to analyze solar panel performance. We'll pursue similar educational opportunities with the wind turbine.
The Science Center was completed in 1999; the Black Rock Forest Lodge was completed in 2004. We wanted facilities and technologies that were state-of-the-art for the region, and we wanted to enhance research capacity as a biological field station. We raised $4 million, including grants from the National Science Foundation and the Kresge Foundation, to complete the buildings. Since the Black Rock Forest Lodge opened we have seen a 40% increase in our education program volume over six years.
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Hi Emily,
Thanks so much for sharing Black Rock Forest Consortium's challenges in getting a small wind turbine installed on its grounds.
I'd love to go a little further back in your history and learn more about how your organization became committed to alternative technologies, the process of brainstorming and building the Science Center, and how what you've learned is being applied to your wind turbine project.
Thanks!
Alexis
Hi Alexis,
Our commitment to alternative technologies arises from our mission, which is to advance environmental understanding through research, education and conservation programs. We have a number of scientists who research the ecological impact of human fossil fuel use, in the form of acid deposition and mercury deposition at Black Rock Forest. In fact our main research project, the Future of Oak Forests program, was begun a few years ago in response to a documented trend of oak tree loss at the Forest. Mature oaks are dying three times faster than they used to, probably due to soil-based stressors, including soil acidification, and probably also due to climate change, as a slight increase in average temperature over the past few decades has led to increased incidence of drought.
Research like this heightens awareness of the need to explore clean energy alternatives! In addition, we do a great deal of science education at the Forest and our solar arrays and other technologies are great teaching tools. We log and store data on how the arrays are functioning, so it's possible for teachers to have students use "real world" information to analyze solar panel performance. We'll pursue similar educational opportunities with the wind turbine.
The Science Center was completed in 1999; the Black Rock Forest Lodge was completed in 2004. We wanted facilities and technologies that were state-of-the-art for the region, and we wanted to enhance research capacity as a biological field station. We raised $4 million, including grants from the National Science Foundation and the Kresge Foundation, to complete the buildings. Since the Black Rock Forest Lodge opened we have seen a 40% increase in our education program volume over six years.
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