GULF SHORES — An environmental education facility is on schedule to open later this year for camps, classes, events and programs for both public and private groups.

Travis Langen, executive director of the Gulf Coast Center for Ecotourism and Sustainability (GCCES), said the Gulf Coast Eco Center is funded through a RESTORE grant, from the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill. He said the Eco Center is a nonprofit that will "rely heavily on the community for volunteer and funding support."

"GCCES will be managing and operating the Gulf Coast Eco Center for the City (of Gulf Shores)," Langen said, "under a long-term management agreement and will be launching a fundraising campaign in 2025 to help cover staffing and operational expenses of the new facility."

According to the GCCES website, some of the center's goals include promoting sustainable tourism, raising environmental awareness and stewardship of natural resources to "enhance the quality of life of the residents and visitors of the Gulf Coast Region."

"Groundbreaking began in spring of 2023," the website states. "The campus will employ the latest in green building design and aims to achieve LEED Gold certification."

A soft launch is scheduled in April, and some public programs are scheduled to begin this summer, Langen said. He also said a "larger series of grand opening events" are planned for this fall with program partner Jean-Michel Cousteau, diver and filmmaker.

The Eco Center will be partnering with Gulf Shores City Schools to offer summer programs, after school programs and field studies to students, according to Langen. He said there will also be "a range of volunteer opportunities for residents and snowbirds," including gardening, trail maintenance, tree planting and plant nursery work.

Langen said, "the campus will include event space, an organic garden and plant nursery, a bike workshop, art center, outdoor cooking pavilion, habitat restoration demonstrations, classroom space and an aerial adventure high ropes course."

The outdoor campus is located in Gulf Shores adjacent to Gulf State Park, just east of Gulf Shores' schools. Langen said the campus will be accessible by car, foot or bike. Directions by car are to drive down East 15th Avenue past the schools until it turns into Eco Trail, and the new campus will be in sight. By bike or foot, visitors can arrive from Gulf State Park's backcountry trail.

By offering "a range of conservation-related programs" such as habitat restoration, organic gardening and composting, Lagen said the Eco Center promotes healthy living and environmental education in the Gulf Coast community.

Announcement of and registration for events by the Gulf Coast Eco Center can be found on their website at www.gulfcenter.org.