“ fly-through ” animation that enabled staff , stakeholders , and sponsors to preview the end result . The Preserve used these images to help raise funds and generate community support for the $ 5.5 million project .
The Trail Forward for Bubolz
In addition to community and educational programs , today the Lodge offers versatile , inviting spaces for corporate meetings and conferences , private events , and wedding ceremonies . Rooms like the “ Great Blue Heron Hall ,” “ Upland Atrium ,” “ Black Bear Auditorium ,” and other Bubolz venues are available for public rent , generating revenue that allows the Preserve to focus less on fundraising , instead directing its resources toward mission goals .
Not all nonprofit nature preserves are fortunate enough to experience this kind of invigoration after so many years of service .
“ It ’ s not uncommon to see places like this neglected over the long haul ,” observed David Delfosse , Ayres vice president of architecture . “ Bubolz ’ s design allows resiliency from a business standpoint . The gift shop , meeting rooms , banquet hall , and event venues now draw more people to the area and generate dollars to sustain business , injecting new life into the Preserve .”
Going Off-Grid
Bubolz Nature Preserve is powered up both figuratively and literally thanks to a generous contribution by Faith Technologies , the project ’ s electrical design-build contractor that outfitted the new facility with microgrid energy technology .
The most sophisticated microgrid currently operating in the Midwest , the Bubolz system relies on an advanced system of five distributed energy resources – solar photovoltaics , lithiumion battery energy storage system , fuel cell with onsite hydrogen generation , microturbine engine , and naturalgas generator – to heat and power
6 | TRENDS Ingenuity , Integrity , and Intelligence .