Incline science building is a one-of-a-kind collaboration

In just four months, Incline Village will make strides in environmental research as construction of Sierra Nevada College's Tahoe Center for Environmental Sciences begins.

The center for environmental sciences will break ground May 2 and bring together scientists from the University of California, Davis, the Desert Research Institute and SNC, according to a brochure on the building.

The purpose of the facility is to bring state-of-the-art environmental research projects to a place known for its natural beauty, the brochure noted.

"It really does fit the philosophy of what should happening at the Tahoe basin," said Steve Ellsworth, chair of the science and technology department at SNC. "California and Nevada should work together to solve environmental problems and do environmental research and education ... I'm ecstatic that we have a relationship with (our collaborators)."

The environmental science building will not only mark the beginning of a partnership that could vastly effect the Tahoe community's environmental efforts, it will also bring much needed new facilities and equipment to the school.

"What we have up at Ralston Hall - those labs are pre-Sputnik," Ellsworth said. "It will be a quantum leap in the quality of the facilities. They're going to be arguably some of the finest that you'd see anywhere."

"Davis and DRI, faculty and staff, have been an absolute joy to work with," he said. "This relationship - a very large, preeminent public research institution working together with a small liberal arts private college - you don't find examples of this happening."

Already a "green" campus, care for the environment has been an uppermost concern throughout the planning of the building's construction, Ellsworth explained.

All of the wood finishing in the building will be taken from the trees cleared for the foundation. In addition to ground-level exhibits open to the public, a greenhouse, which will help heat and cool the building, will also be open to guests.

"It's going to draw a lot of attention," Ellsworth said. "It will be a public resource."

In a press release published when plans were getting started, Charles Goldman, the UC Davis scientist in charge of Tahoe studies for the past 44 years, said the center is important to Tahoe's future.

"In this one place, we will be able to conduct the research needed to keep the lake healthy and blue, educate the next generation of Tahoe scientists, teach our children about the basin's natural resources, and inform the public officials who decide the basin's future," Goldman said.

Construction is expected to finish 18 months after groundbreaking. So far more than $25 million has been donated to the center including $1.65 million from the U.S. Department of Energy.