It isn't often that one can see daylight through the center of a building, but that has been the case for the last few weeks as the new home of the Woods Hole Research Center is now under construction across the street from Treetops. Dr. George M. Woodwell, director of the Center, kicked off the project during a groundbreaking ceremony on October 10, 2001. The construction is scheduled to be finished during the Summer of 2002.
The exterior of the late 19th century house is being preserved because the old architectural design of the big white house on top of the hill seemed aesthetically appropriate for the neighborhood. The original "widow's walk" that had been capped several decades ago will be restored on top of the building. More information on the building's design and close-up pictures of the construction are available on the web at: The Woods Hole Research Center.
In addition to this historic preservation, The Woods Hole Research Center is also dedicated to constructing a building that sets a standard for responsible stewardship of the landscape and the environment in the 21st century. The goal is to produce the energy that the building con-sumes and to avoid pollution of the surrounding environ-ment, while also providing a comfortable and appealing workspace for the inhabitants. Heating and cooling of the building will be achieved with a state of the art groundwa-ter source heat pump and super efficient insulation. All of the rooms are designed to maximize natural lighting, and the artificial lighting will be energy efficient. Solar panels on the roof will generate electricity. A de-nitrification sys-tem will reduce nitrate from sewage to avoid inputs of ni-trogen into the groundwater that feeds Oyster Pond. Monitoring energy production and use and measuring the nitrogen content of the de-nitrification system will become part of the routine research of the Center. The goal is to demonstrate that this type of construction is feasible and economically viable for others to copy.
The Woods Hole Research Center, which employs about 40 people, is dedicated to linking scientific research to public policy with respect to prudent management of the environment. The Center's scientists work primarily on topics related to global warming and deforestation of the Amazon rainforest and of the Russian Far East. Research also focuses on re-growing forests in central Massachu-setts and Maine and on changing land use patterns here on Cape Cod. With the construction of this new building, the day-to-day workings of the Center become part of the research and part of the institution's mission.
By Eric Davidson
Eric A. Davidson is a Senior Scientist at The Woods Hole Research Center and Vice-President of OPET.
| In an effort to encourage junior high and high school students to adopt Oyster Pond as a topic for their science fair project, the OPET board of directors voted to create a prize for the best project pertaining to Oyster Pond and its surrounding watershed. The student with the winning project will receive a prize of $200. The same general criteria for judging projects that are used for other science fair projects will apply, but one additional criterion for this prize is that the project must address biological, chemical, or physical properties of Oyster Pond or its watershed. | Mr. Dave Berglund, the science fair coordinator and a science teacher at Falmouth High school, welcomed the news of this new prize: "I am sure that students here at FHS will be interested in a study of Oyster Pond. With the large number of students entering projects in the fair, we are always looking for more awards to give." The prize will be awarded at the science fair in March 2002. Stu-dents are encouraged to view our web site (www.opet.org) for ideas about projects and to contact OPET members who might be willing to provide advice. |
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