Summer Star Wildlife Sanctuary Trailhead House and Nature Center - Boylston, MABoylston, MA The Summer Star Wildlife Sanctuary Trailhead House and Nature Center serves as a visitor center and educational gateway to 45 acres of preserved forest, streams and wetlands, and 1.5 miles of trails in Worcester County. On a site rescued from a 32-lot residential development, the core mission of the wildlife sanctuary, which is open to the public free of charge, is to protect, care and rehabilitate wildlife, and to offer a place for education, observation, recreation and self-reflection. The 5,200 s/f new building houses an educational and informational center for visitors, with exhibit spaces, video and meeting rooms, as well as a grand-scale, glazed ‘tree room’ for story telling. The Nature Center provides a forum for programs complementary to the curricula of visiting educators.
Sustainability Features
The building has been designed to minimize its impact on the environment. The Trailhead House incorporates a wealth of sustainable gestures not limited to photovoltaic panels, green roof with indigenous plantings, thermal shutters, composting toilets, waterless urinals, reclaimed wood harvested from the site, and a rain-water pool among many other impactful systems. The site design also incorporates many low-impact, sustainable techniques including permeable pavement and roof runoff used in underground fire protection and irrigation tanks. The photovoltaic system offsets 16.9% by cost, and the building makes zero use of potable water for flushing.