Building design for the new Kern River Preserve Nature Center complex

Why does Kern River Preserve need an Audubon Center?

Since the Kern River Preserve (KRP) was purchased to save the finest last remaining contiguous riparian forest left in California, the buildings, (that were never intended for public use), have become less and less functional for the many events we hold annually. And as river's do, the South Fork is meandering into the path of our building complex, access road and trails; so we need to find a new place to safely operate.

KRP’s outreach and education programs are hindered as well, by these space limitations and flooding. Over the course of the last 10 years, attendance at the preserve has increased substantially. An expanded, green nature center will deepen community members’ understanding of and appreciation for stewardship, by making the natural environment readily accessible to a larger number of residents of Kern County and beyond. Audubon plans to construct a new 5-6,000 square foot building complex. The new Audubon Center will:

• Create a unique environment that welcomes and engages visitors;

• Incorporate green technology and environmental education components into the construction and design of the building such that the building itself is an exhibit;

• Be well integrated into the natural environment such that it will have minimal visual impact from the road and for people using the preserve; and

• Serve as an educational center, community gathering place and teaching tool for environmentally responsible green design.

The nature center renovation and expansion will create a better home for schools, community groups, families, elderly and disabled residents of Kern County to:

• participate in environmental education;

• engage in interactive exhibits;

• learn about renewable energy; and

• explore a network of handicapped-accessible trails that begin and end at the Center.

KRP's green nature center will be built in three phases over a three year period with a cost to be determined. At the same time we look to find money to endow our programs and the building and grounds upkeep.

Kern River Preserve Audubon Center’s New Modular Green Building

Green buildings avoid or minimize negative impacts on the environment by conserving and using natural resources efficiently. Green buildings facilitate ecological harmony and respect for biodiversity in relation to buildings and architecture. Kern River Preserve Audubon Center’s New Green Buildings will incorporate green and sustainable design features, which will allow it to become LEED certified. LEED stands for Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design and is a nationally recognized green building rating system formulated by the U.S. Green Building Council to provide a national standard for what constitutes a green building.

Some of the key green features of Kern River Preserve’s new Audubon Center will include:

• Environmentally Friendly Products

• Natural Daylighting & Solar Panels

• Earth Sheltering & Native Landscaping

• Grey Water Use & Water Efficient Fixtures

• Reduced Building Footprint

• Geo-thermal (Exchange) Heating & Cooling

Inside Our New Building

Green Building Demonstration Area. Here visitors can learn more about the green technologies utilized in the center’s new addition under the sun-lit, airy heights of the cooling tower. Here visitors can view displays lit by energy collected by the solar panels on top of the cooling tower.

Natural History Museum & Audubon Center
As visitors enter the Kern River Preserve Audubon Center, they are met with a variety of captivating hands-on exhibits that will inform and prepare them for their journey out onto the center’s grounds. This area will also be the information hub for the center, where visitors can learn about all of the nature center’s programs and services, along with a friendly face to answer any of their questions.

Community Lecture Hall
This larger, multi-use community room is designed to handle large groups for a variety of programs and functions, to meet the ever growing need for program and community space for evening slide shows, workshops and community organizations.