The new Austin Cary Learning Center, dedicated Saturday, will provide space for weddings, club meetings and nature-related activities.
The center replaced the original, which was destroyed in a fire three years ago. The 7,800-square-foot building is located 6 miles northeast of Gainesville on Waldo Road, overlooking Lake Mize and in the Austin Cary Forest.
Tim White, director of the School of Forest Resources and Conservation, said the facility is used for everything from club meetings to weddings. He said UF’s forestry students go to the center to experience nature.
“There are forested areas with great trails as well as Lake Mize, which is one of the deepest lakes in Florida,” he said. “While here, they can also learn about the important role that forests play in our lives.”
He said the new center is twice the size and has more functionality than the old one. The center now has access to the Internet, breakout rooms and a kitchen.
The center’s floor plan was based on surveys from people around the community, White said.
The $2 million center was funded entirely by donations. White said donations came from alumni, private companies and other sources. People gave anywhere from $50 to $150,000.
Michelle Franklin, a 26-year-old UF forest resources and conservation senior, has been working at the Austin Cary Forest for a year and watched the construction of the new facility. She wrote in an email that she and the other seniors are jealous of the students who get to use the new facility.
“It doesn’t feel like a building when you step inside,” Franklin said. “It feels like a home, and I am excited to share it with others.”
[A version of this story ran on page 4 on 4/9/2014 under the headline "New nature learning center opens in Austin Cary Forest"]
