Located in a 320-acre wetland nature park in the heart of urban Bellevue, the MSEEC is a unique partnership between Pacific Science Center and the City of Bellevue Department of Parks & Community Services. The Science Center provides science-based education programs to inspire lifelong awareness, understanding, and appreciation for stewardship for the natural world; the City of Bellevue provides and maintains the facilities.
"The county believes this is one of those projects that is just the right thing to do," said Sims during the ceremony.
With the growing importance of environmental education in the community, MSEEC now serves 8,000 participants each year and programs have outgrown the education center's current facilities.
"We are thrilled to be able to expand our space and naturalist-led programs so that more school groups and individuals can experience and learn about all that this wetland and its contiguous watershed have to offer," said Bryce Seidl, president and CEO for Pacific Science Center.
The ground breaking ceremony celebrates the beginning of construction for the MSEEC $13 million capital project. The new 12,000 square foot Johnpaul Jones designed facility should be completed over the next year and a half. A cluster of low-impact buildings, new features will include a multi-purpose building, two classroom buildings, two wet labs, a visitor center, and public restrooms.
"We anticipate this project will receive the US Green Building Council's LEED certification," said Seidl.
Thanks to generous support and funding from the City of Bellevue and other supporters, including the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the State of Washington, Puget Sound Energy, the Allen Foundation, and Penford Corporation, $8.6 million has been raised thus far. An initiative led by Puget Sound Energy and the Allen Foundation is focused on raising the remaining funds needed for the project. Pacific Science Center is grateful to the City of Bellevue for its partnership on this project and the capacity for expanded programs that will be possible as a result. We look forward to welcoming the community to the new and expanded Mercer Slough Environmental Education Center in the fall of 2008.
While construction is under way, MSEEC will be housed in a temporary facility located at Lake Hills Greenbelt in Bellevue, which boasts a diverse array of habitats over its 172 acres and will offer further opportunities for students and the public to learn about our precious local ecosystems.
Programs include school field study and outreach programs, Salmon Stewards curriculum, summer camps, vacation camps and classes, a high school watershed internship, Family Expeditions, Scouts in the Wild, and Wild B'earthday Celebrations.