Opened in October 2015, the Bill Fisch Forest Stewardship and Education Centre, located in the town of Whitchurch-Stouffville, Ontario, became one of the few educational facilities to be built entirely out of FSC-certified wood and located inside of an FSC-certified forest.
“We have a deep history with the FSC. It was the obvious choice to use FSC certified wood since we are FSC certified. The purpose of the building is to continue the legacy of stewardship and responsible forest management” says Ian Buchanan, Manager of Natural Heritage and Forestry, The Regional Municipality of York.
In the late 1800s the forest was cleared for agriculture. After significant soil erosion in the early 1900s, efforts began to restore what was lost and thus established The York Regional Forest. It was in the year 2000 that they solidified their commitment to responsible forest management by becoming Canada’s first public forest to become FSC certified.
The newly built Forest Stewardship and Education centre replaces a centre that had been there since the 1940s. The new structure uses FSC certified, black spruce glulam and cross-laminated timber (CLT) and is currently pursuing LEED silver status.
Even though the forest itself is a natural classroom, the Bill Fisch Stewardship and Education Centre will help to further educate visitors on the importance of natural resources and inspire the next generation to be stewards of our forests.
You can see more of the design details here