KAYSVILLE — Utah State University opened a new LEED-certified building at its botanical center Friday, marking the first of many to aid exploration using its outdoor classroom.
The 3,200 square-foot Wetland Discovery Point allows the Utah Botanical Center to double the number of school field trips it hosts annually as well as hold classes and special events in a building overlooking one of the ponds.
Funding for the building was provided in part by an allocation of $950,000 from the 2007 Legislature and partnerships with Kaysville, private donors and the Utah Division of Water Quality. LEED stands for leadership in energy and environmental design.
The building is set to be the centerpiece of the UBC's education program and a visible example of green construction to visitors of the center and commuters on the neighboring I-15.
As part of the building opening, the Utah Reclamation Mitigation and Conservation Commission received an Environmental Stewardship Award for its care of the state's natural resources.