Fleming College

Camp Kawartha Environment Centre to be constructed at Trent University in Peterborough, Ontario by Fleming College Students Camp Kawartha announced today that, thanks to a $100,000 gift from the Gainey Foundation, one of Canada’s most sustainable buildings will be built at Trent University to house the new Camp Kawartha Environment Centre; a groundbreaking environmental education and teacher training facility.“This project is a fitting opportunity for us to acknowledge the incredible support the Gainey Foundation has received in Peterborough and the surrounding area,” said Bob Gainey. “We are proud to be a part of this strong community partnership and to help realize a unique and exciting environmental center that will benefit and inspire children, educate and train future teachers and serve as an example as to how we can all live more sustainably.”In December, Trent University’s Board of Governors approved a 21-year land lease, which secures the plan for a new “green” structure to be built on the university’s grounds. Students in Fleming College’s Sustainable Building Design and Construction certificate program will design and build the new facility in partnership with Camp Kawartha.Construction of the Camp Kawartha Environmental Centre is slated to begin in April 2009. The facility will be one of the most sustainable buildings in Canada. Using innovative green architecture, the design will incorporate: reclaimed and recyclable building materials, an earth-bag foundation, straw bale walls, solar power, a rainwater collection system, and composting toilets. The facility will serve not only as a place to offer relevant and curriculum-linked environmental programming, but the building itself will also provide rich educational opportunities for children, teachers, students in Trent’s School of Education and Professional Learning and the community at large.“Children and adults alike need to bear witness to how we can all live more gently and responsibly in our communities. To see alternative energy in action, to be inspired by the natural world and to provide children with the hope for a greener future, is one of the most valuable tasks we can embark on,” said Camp Kawartha Executive Director Jacob Rodenburg.- 30 -For more information:Laura Copeland, Communications Officer, 705-749-5530 x 1370 or copeland@flemingc.on.ca