Iris Griffith Centre
Iris Griffith Field Studies & Interpretive Centre
Built in 2005, the 2,500 square foot Iris Griffith Interpretive Centre was designed by John Dafoe in collaboration with the Lagoon Society Building Committee and West Coast Log Homes. The centre acts as the home of the Lagoon Society and is our primary location for the outreach, programs, and events we organize.
Winter Hours:
Saturday & Sunday: 10am – 4pm
Summer Hours:
Daily: 10am - 4pm
AN EDUCATIONAL RESOURCE
The Iris Griffith Interpretive Centre serves as the base for many exciting community and school programs. These include an innovative Nature School Program for elementary and secondary school students, along with interpretive programs, Workshops, Lectures and Slideshows and tours for the general community, and adult education courses for university and college students, professionals, hobbyists, and amateur naturalists. A wetland restoration project is helping to create valuable habitat for wildlife and is giving community members a hands-on opportunity to work to improve the environment. During the summer, we hire a selection of University students from a variety of disciplines to give them in-the-field experience with their studies. They then spread their collective knowledge with locals and visitors, including the youth in our summer day camp program, Lagoonies.
A MODEL GREEN BUILDING
Thanks to a generous grant from the Real Estate Foundation of BC and Vancity, the Iris Griffith Centre has been retrofitted with green building elements including a water catchment system, solar electric power, a green roof, and a solar water heating system to provide hot water both for in-floor radiant heating and for building hot water supplies. In conjunction with the green building retrofits, and with financial support from the Environment Canada EcoAction Program, we were able to host an education program to inform local residents about energy conservation, alternative technologies, and sustainable living choices. We are continuously looking for new and innovative ways to reduce our impact on the environment, and sharing those ideas with our local community and global visitors.
DISPLAYS AND EXHIBITS
The Interpretive Centre houses a collection of Displays and Exhibits characterizing human interaction with the natural environment from the mountains down to the sea. It serves as a base for many exciting community and school programs, including children’s activities, adult education courses and workshops, guided nature walks and field trips, slide shows and lectures, public forums, and an innovative Nature School Program for children.
Come take a closer look at nature!
The Iris Griffith Centre is located at:
15200 Sunshine Coast Highway
Madeira Park, British Columbia
V0N 2H0 Canada
T: 604.883.9201
E:
