New Education Center Expands Heinz Refuge's Urban Outreach

By Bill Buchanan, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

TINICUM, Pennsylvania--The John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge in this Philadelphia suburb opened its Cusano Environmental Education Center on Jan. 20, marking the success of private/public partnership that worked on the project for the past eight years.

"You can sum it up it one word--synergy," said Refuge Manager Dick Nugent. "So many different factions of people coming together for the common goal."

The 14,000-square foot center will interpret the refuge's natural and cultural history thorough interactive exhibits and displays. The facility is designed to be environmentally friendly at this most urban of refuges and to not only deliver a message of conservation but to also become part of the community.

The impetus for the center came from Antonio "Tony" Cusano, a local resident who passed away in 1993 with no heirs. He had worked in the gear shop of a Philadelphia General Electric plant and through years of wise investments had accrued a very large sum of money. He was a very patriotic man and took to heart the words of John F. Kennedy, "Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country."

He had a love of nature and the outdoors and left nearly $2.5 million to the Department of the Interior. The executor of his will, Greg Mallon, arranged with Congressman Curt Weldon (R-PA), a long-time proponent of the refuge, to see that the money was directed to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and, specifically, the Heinz Refuge, to be used as seed funding for a new environmental education center.

Eventually, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation was called on to raise the additional funding. Working in concert with the FWS and the Friends of the Heinz Wildlife Refuge, the foundation oversaw the planning, design, and construction of the center.

"We are proud to part of such a successful private/public partnership," said Mamie Parker, the FWS director for Region 5. "The foundation, the Friends of the Heinz Wildlife Refuge, funders, public officials, and community organizations have assisted the Service in demonstrating new ways of teaching and learning environmental education." Through the entire process of planning and design, she noted, the community, various refuge partners, FWS regional staff, and many others contributed to the success of the project. Director Parker also pointed out that the center is a model of sustainable design, from the use of recycled materials to the use of foundation piles (to tread lightly on the land and allow for proper drainage). South facing windows gather warmth, and the building incorporates geothermal heating and cooling.

The center will enhance the ability of refuge staff to provide environmental education. In the past it was difficult to accommodate larger groups because of the lack of space. With the new classrooms, multipurpose meeting room, and resource library, these functions will be much easier, even during inclement weather. The community will also have a place to meet and conduct workshops.

The displays and exhibits in the center will allow visitors to learn about the importance of wetlands and how both nature and people benefit by them. They will also teach the history of the Tinicum Marsh and rich cultural background of the area. Interactive displays allow visitors to test their knowledge and learn about the National Wildlife Refuge System.

Tony Leger, chief of refuges for Region 5, noted that refuge lands are also set aside for people in cities and other urban areas who can enjoy the open space of refuges. "Now, the John Heinz Refuge can offer the best environmental education center in the National Wildlife Refuge System."

At Tinicum refuge, the jumbo jets of Philadelphia International Airport are only overshadowed by the majestic great blue herons that take wing above the marsh. Fox and turtle in the refuge are as common as the cars and trucks that whisk by on nearby I-95. Artist and photographer can capture a rising city skyline over an impoundment laden with waders and waterfowl. The odors of the nearby refineries and industry are canceled out by that of the soils of a rich wetland that seem to beckon something primordial in us and bring us closer to the Earth.