PHOTO / TIM GREENWAY
Drew Dumsch
Updated: February 23, 2021
Ecology School redevelopment in Saco approaches $14M finish line
Courtesy / The Ecology School
New gifts have come in that nearly complete the $14.1 million fundraising goal for development of a self-sustaining campus at the Ecology School’s River Bend campus, including a new dorm and dining commons. The dorm is seen here.
By Staff
Development of the Ecology School’s River Bend campus in Saco has entered the final construction and fundraising phase, with new funders onboard. It plans to hold a COVID-safe ribbon-cutting ceremony on Earth Day, April 22.
The school, at 184 Simpson Road, has reached about 96% of its $14.1 million fundraising goal, with $600,000 left to raise, according to a news release.
Construction includes a 9,000-square-foot dormitory, a 7,000-square-foot dining area and an installation of 718 solar panels.
When completed, River Bend Farm is expected to be one of the "greenest" environmental residential learning centers in the country. The farm may also be the first location in Maine to achieve the International Living Future Institute’s full Living Building Certification, which is the most comprehensive green building certification in the world, the school said.
The certification exceeds the rating of U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, commonly called LEED, and Passive House Institute standards. The solar panel installation is expected to create 105% net positive energy. Other sustainable installations include a noncombustion, all electric-powered kitchen in the dining commons.
“We believe the Ecology School is not only beautiful, but it offers a striking example of how institutions can combine the most cutting-edge technology on a working rural landscape, integrating buildings from the 18th century, sustainable living, agroecology, and elegant green design and construction,” said Drew Dumsch, the school’s president, CEO and co-founder.
Despite the pandemic, the construction team and staff have realized substantial fundraising wins.
The latest gifts in support of the project include:
• $25,000 from Bernstein Shur, in support of the school nurse station and office, which oversees the health and wellness needs of over 4,000 residential students per year.
• $75,000 from Bangor Savings Bank, in support of the school’s Eastern Pathway, which will be landscaped with educationally significant trees and shrubs and will connect the dormitory to 3.5 miles of on-site conservation trails.
• $25,000 from Central Maine Power Co.
• $25,000 from Hancock Lumber
• $20,000 from Efficiency Maine
• $5,000 from ReVision Energy
Last May, Poland Spring donated $500,000 in support of the Poland Spring Education and Dining Commons.
Supporters of the Ecology School also include the Daniel E. Offutt III Charitable Trust, Jane’s Trust, Quimby Family Foundation and Saco & Biddeford Savings.
Zachau Construction of Freeport broke ground on the project in 2019. Design was a collaboration between Kaplan Thompson Architects, Scott Simons Architects, Briburn and Richardson & Associates.
Also in 2019, the project was awarded an $8.66 million loan from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development’s Community Facilities Direct Loan and Guaranteed Loans program, the largest community facilities loan granted to an educational facility in Maine within the past decade. In addition, Coastal Enterprises Inc. provided $1.75 million in long-term financing.
The school provides residential ecology education for people of all ages to learn by their natural inclinations, engaging in all five senses to discover the inner workings of the world around them. Through hands-on, experiential programming, people at the school learn to become stewards of the environment as they explore Maine’s food systems and local ecosystems.
Since 1998, the school has hosted more than 187,000 students and teachers from across the country, educating them about nature, connecting them to the environment, and teaching them about human impact on the planet.
Dumsch was a Mainebiz 2020 Next List honoree.
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