TUPPER LAKE -- The Wild Center is the first museum in New York state to receive a top honor for sustainability in environmental design.

The silver certificate was presented Friday by the U.S. Green Building Council for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, also known as LEED.

The museum complex, located on the Raquette River in Tupper Lake, is the first museum in New York to achieve such high green distinction and is one of only about a dozen LEED silver-certified buildings in the state.

At a special ceremony, Deputy Secretary for the Environment Judith Enck congratulated museum architects, builders and board members for their efforts to set high standards for energy-conscious construction.

"Thank you for this really extraordinary environmental leadership," Enck said. "This will leave an important ecological impression on thousands of visitors."

GREEN DESIGN

Stephanie Ratcliffe, executive director of the Wild Center/Natural History Museum of the Adirondacks, accepted a giant medallion made of cut glass. She credited teamwork among architects and builders who incorporated sustainability into every aspect of the museum.

Architects from Hellmuth, Obata and Kassabaum were selected, in part, Ratcliffe said, for their expertise in green design.

Ratcliffe identified strengths in the 54,000-square-foot Wild Center's green design that earned points in six categories.

Environmentally conscious planning began with digging the foundation in an old gravel pit instead of carving up new property closer to the river's edge.

Nearly every part of the facility was built using local products, Ratcliffe said, so less fuel was burned getting construction materials in place.

"LEED means buying local whenever possible."

SOLAR ENERGY

Storm-water management systems at the museum include a sod roof and porous pavers in the parking lot to soak up rain.

Composting toilets in outdoor areas use zero gallons per flush.