ECHO FACTS
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ECHO NAME
ECHO Lake Aquarium and Science Center at the Leahy Center for Lake Champlain,
formerly the Lake Champlain Basin Science Center, has been
renamed as well as rebuilt. The new name reflects the
Ecology, Culture, History and
Opportunity of the Lake Champlain Basin - the core
mission of the new lake aquarium, science center, and
community resource - as well as recognizing Senator Patrick
Leahy for his longstanding commitment to this project and
the stewardship of Lake Champlain and its watershed.
LEED CERTIFIED GREEN BUILDING
The building designed by Smith-Alvarez-Sienkiewycz
Architects, a Burlington architecture firm that specializes
in public buildings, is an amazing example of sustainable
design strategies. Design, construction and operation of
the new building follow stringent guidelines of the
national LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental
Design) Green Building Rating System™. ECHO is the
first building in the state of Vermont to receive LEED
Certification by the US Green Building Council located in
Washington, DC. The building draws as much as possible on
local materials, state-of-the-art energy-saving operations,
optimum efficiency equipment, and environmentally friendly
materials. Within all areas of operation - from animal care
and office management to gift shop products and food
services - ECHO follows environmentally-friendly
practices. The building utilizes a facility-wide digital
control system, fiber optic day lighting, a solar thermal
system for water heating, auto dimming fluorescent lights,
recycled content materials, with human and lake-friendly
products throughout.
EXHIBITS
Boston-based exhibit designer, Amaze Design, Inc. has
developed the ECHO experience which interprets the
ecological, geological, biological, and cultural history of
the Lake Champlain Basin and includes Awesome Forces
Theater (800 million years compressed into 6 minutes of
crashing, flashing, caving glaciers and continental
collision!), a water-play space for kids to build dams and
float boats, and an Atlantic tide pool touch tank with
periwinkle snails, horseshoe crabs, sea stars, anemones and
urchins. Young visitors may enjoy the working miniature
lighthouse or pop in on a painted turtle in Discovery
Place, while other kids may control a high-tech underwater
adventure as they get a glimpse of the replica historic
General Butler shipwreck. From Abenaki story-telling to the
dynamics of Lake Champlain's underwater wave the
ECHO adventure immerses guests in the sights,
sounds, smells and feel of past and present life in the
Basin. A series of special touring exhibits are showcased
in the changing exhibit gallery three times a year.
COMMUNITY RESOURCE
As a community resource, ECHO offers exceptional
meeting, conference and recreation spaces. A second story
balcony with beautiful views of the lake, a café, gift
shop and multiple meeting rooms next to the live animal
exhibitions are available for a wide range of public or
private social and business functions before, during and
after hours. Outdoor spaces, as extensions of the
Burlington Waterfront Park, also provide options for
community events.
CAPITAL CAMPAIGN
The $14.5 million project has been ten years in the making.
Under the leadership of board chair, Sarah Muyskens, and
capital campaign co-chairs, George E. Little, Jr. and
Daniel Feeney, the organization is approaching the final
stages of reaching its goal. Approximately half of the
funds came from the federal government through the efforts
of Senator Leahy. J. Warren and Lois McClure contributed
$2.5 million, two anonymous gifts totaled another $1.5
million, and Bob and Cynthia Hoehl made a substantial gift
as well. The remaining funds came from family and business
supporters throughout the Basin.
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