Leahy Center for Lake Champlain Inc.

Programs: The leahy center for lake champlain, inc. (dba echo) is one of two science centers, and the only lake aquarium, in the state of vermont. Located in burlington, vermont's largest city, echo sits on the eastern shore of lake champlain, the 6th largest freshwater lake in the united states. Echo's mission is to educate and delight people about the ecology, culture, history, and opportunities for stewardship of the lake champlain basin. Echo currently welcomes more than 150,000 visitors annually into a 36,000 square foot, award-winning leed-certified facility. Through more than 100 interactive exhibits, 60 species of fish, reptiles and amphibians, major changing exhibits, classrooms, cutting edge media suite, and a stunning (continued on schedule o) lakeside event hall, echo encourages visitors to view the natural environment as part of their neighborhood and to explore, learn about and consider opportunities for stewardship. Echo was incorporated in july of 1994 as the lake champlain basin science center. The following year, a six member board of directors was appointed with representation from the university of vermont, the city of burlington and the public at large. The lake champlain basin science center opened to the public in may 1995 on the burlington waterfront in partnership with the us naval reserve, which operated the space that housed the center. It remained in the naval reserve building until 2001, when the building was torn down to make way for a new, 14. 67m campus designed to house the leahy center for lake champlain - a 2. 7 acre environmental campus on the burlington waterfront. The leahy center for lake champlain, of which echo is the public face, is home to a consortium of organizations working for public and academic engagement in science, including the lake champlain basin program, the university of vermont's rubenstein ecosystem science laboratory and research vessel, us sea grant watershed alliance and the lake champlain navy memorial. In 2012, the leahy center for lake champlain completed a 4. 1m campaign to expand the center to it's current footprint. Echo is located in chittenden county, a cultural and intellectual hub of vermont, and draws visitors primarily from chittenden and the surrounding five vermont counties, which are home to more than 53 percent of vermont's population according to the 2010 census. Echo's 150,000 visitors include 25,000 members, 15,000 school children, 20,000 reduced- or free-admission visitors, 15,000 evening event participants, 75,000 walk-up visitors. Of the 75,000 walk-up visitors, 60% are adults and 40% are children.