Willow Bend Environmental Education Center

Willow Bend Environmental Education Center's mission is to provide educational outreach services that build environmental awareness and an ethic of responsible stewardship of our natural and cultural resources.
What began as an environmental education program within the Coconino Natural Resource Conservation District became Willow Bend Environmental Education Center with the construction of this sustainable strawbale building in 2002.
Willow Bend incorporates passive solar features that provide for almost all of the Center's heating needs. You can see here the numerous southern windows that bring in winter sun. In the summer, the sun is overhead and doesn't heat the building.
One key to passive solar design is the inclusion of thermal mass, like this concrete floor, that is warmed by the sun during the day and then reradiates heat throughout the night.
The floor looks like saltillo tile, but is simply colored, scored and grouted concrete, a more affordable option.
In addition to the extensive windows, the Center also has three trombe walls on the south side. These are mass walls, made with 12" sand blocks filled with grout and mortared. They are painted black to better absorb the sun, and a window is installed in front of them with a small gap between. Sunlight penetrates the glass and is absorbed by the black wall. Radiated heat energy isn't as strong and doesn't escape through the glass as easily.
Passive solar buildings have only small windows on the north wall to minimize the heat loss through them. Windows have very little insulative value and north windows don't get sunlight in the winter to offset the heat loss through them.
The woodstove that was installed for back-up heat is rarely used- typically less than six times a year!
Good insulation is key to reducing heating needs. This is the "truth window" showing the straw in the walls. Strawbale construction utilizes this farming waste product to create highly insulative R-33 walls. The Center also has R-10 rigid insulation under the slab and R-50 blown-in fiberglass insulation in the lid.
A grid-tied 6.2 kWh per day solar PV system was donated by Prometheus Solar in 2007.
The minimal water heating needed for the building is provided by this on-demand electric unit.
Low flow fixtures in the bathroom conserve water resources and provide an educational opportunity for visitors.
The biggest enemy of strawbale construction is moisture. That's why most strawbale builders recommend natural plaster walls that breathe and let water vapor escape.
The native landscaping around Willow Bend is extensive and is National Wildlife Federation Certified Wildlife Habitat. For more information on this certification, click here. Great efforts are made to weed out invasive species!
Willow Bend utilizes rainwater harvesting to reduce reliance on potable water for its gardens.
Cisterns are located on all corners of the building, allowing for easier access to landscape on all sides.
Willow Bend has a total of X gallons of rainwater storage.
This fixture is Dark Sky compliant, as the bulb is completely covered. Dark Sky lighting is more friendly to wildlife in addition to protecting the night sky. For more information on Dark Sky lighting, click here.
Ceiling fans are a low-energy way to move air and make a room feel cooler.
Willow Bend is Flagstaff and Coconino County’s only year-round full time environmental education center. We depend on donors and members like you who value and understand the importance of investing in our children and protecting our environment through ongoing, science based, outdoor environmental education and service learning. Click here to become a member or to donate.