PARK CITY, UT – The Swaner Nature Preserve, a nonprofit land trust with 1200 acres in the Snyderville Basin, announces its new name and logo: The Swaner EcoCenter™. Swaner is nearing the completion of a new 10,000 square foot state-of-the-art facility featuring the latest in green building technology. The grand opening of the Swaner EcoCenter is slated for September 2008.

The Swaner EcoCenter will promote environmental awareness and an informed respect for the natural world. It will be a central location for community events, including youth programs, adult and family events, lecture and film series, and private parties. The EcoCenter experience is designed to be both fun and engaging, elevating visitors’ knowledge of local and global environmental issues. Visitors will enjoy sophisticated exhibits, a contemporary theater, an interactive climbing wall, a naturalist’s room, a 400-foot pier, two spacious decks, and a four-story observation tower with wildlife spotting scopes.

"With the grand opening of the Swaner EcoCenter, we hope to inspire in people a deep sense of connectedness to the living world,” said Colleen Rush, CEO of the Swaner EcoCenter. “Through engaging exhibits and innovative programming, the EcoCenter will be a stage for spreading environmental messages that impact both our personal health and the health of the planet. Our visitors will leave feeling inspired and empowered."

Swaner is striving to achieve the coveted LEED™ (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Platinum Certification, which would make it the greenest building in Utah. The EcoCenter will be a model of sustainable living and building practices. The building includes a water collection and storage system that will collect 40,000 gallons per year, on-site electricity production, solar hot-water heating, a leading-edge evaporative cooling system, reclaimed, restored, and recycled building materials, and materials without harmful chemicals.

“Bringing an ecosystem to life in architectural design was an ambitious directive from a small nonprofit,” said Soren Simonsen, principal architect with Cooper Roberts Simonsen Associates. “As leaders in environmental design, we welcomed the challenge. The Swaner EcoCenter embodies earth, air, water and sunlight in its design and building materials. It will become an important place for people who want to learn how to live their lives with greater environmental responsibility.”

The EcoCenter has received many major grants and awards in recognition of leadership in sustainable building design, including the prestigious Rocky Mountain Power Blue Sky Award.

For more information, visit www.SwanerEcoCenter.org or call (435) 649-1767.

Since 1993, Swaner has been a leader in protecting community open space and restoring ecologically sensitive habitat to benefit wildlife and water quality. The Swaner EcoCenter, the greenest building in Utah, will provide a unique visitor experience featuring sophisticated exhibits, a contemporary theater, an interactive climbing wall, a naturalist’s room, a 400-foot pier, two spacious decks, and a four-story observation tower with wildlife spotting scopes.