Driving toward a more sustainable future
Isaac Newton said it well in his first law of motion, stating, “An object at rest will remain at rest until acted upon by a force.”
Moving people and objects requires energy, and energy is, ultimately, created by nature. Keeping these opposing forces in balance is key to building a more sustainable world.
How do we treat nature responsibly while we move ourselves and our possessions across our world?
Responsible interaction with nature is a core tenet of Indian Creek Nature Center’s mission. Since its founding in 1973, Indian Creek Nature Center has sought ways to be leaders in clean energy adoption.
From installing solar panels on the Barn in the 1980s to building a facility that is net-zero energy and net-zero water, Indian Creek Nature Center has shown that energy creation and building construction can be sustainable.
Now, Indian Creek Nature Center strives to show how people and objects can move through the world in a more sustainable future. A future that’s electric!
Why Electric Vehicles?
Electric vehicles(EVs) use battery-powered motors which have multiple advantages over vehicles with engines powered by gasoline and, for the most part, EVs can thrive in the road-intensive world we inhabit without requiring massive infrastructure investments ahead of adoption.
Benefits of Electric Vehicles:
- Cleaner: While gasoline-powered engines rely on a single energy source, EV motors are powered by electricity, which can be created from a wide range of energy sources. EV drivers have the ability to charge from sources that are partially, or fully, powered by renewable energy sources such as wind or solar.
- Healthier: Air pollution is estimated to cause 100,000 deaths in the United States every year.¹ Battery-powered motors create zero emissions. Yes, zero! That means an EV driver can breathe easy knowing they’re not adding any pollution to the air we all share.
- Quieter: The noise from electric vehicles is similar to the sound of a humming refrigerator (40 dB). This is half of the noise created by a gas-powered engine (80dB). In fact, EVs are so quiet that new regulations will require slow-moving EVs to make noise to warn pedestrians of their approach.²
- Simpler: In many cases, EVs require less maintenance than gasoline-powered vehicles. The main component of the EV is the battery, which is expected to last up to 12 years, even in extreme climates, and many batteries come with 8-year warranties.³
- Smarter: Electric motors are more than two-and-a-half times more efficient than gasoline-powered engines, meaning that over time, the cost of fueling the car is greatly reduced. One 2020 study showed that a car owner can save $14,480 in fuel costs alone over the lifespan of an electric vehicle.⁴
Indian Creek Plugs Into Electric Vehicles
Indian Creek Nature Center encourages the adoption of electric vehicles through investments in infrastructure, assembling our own EV fleet, and educating Champions of Nature.
A Place You Can Plug In
EVs have always been convenient for commuting. You plug in at home, drive around town to work and errands, and plug it in at home to recharge. Traveling greater distances in an electric vehicle requires adequate infrastructure, just like their gas-powered predecessors.
More than 38,000 new charging stations were commissioned across the country in 2024,⁵ including one in Indian Creek Nature Center’s parking lot. The Level 3 (fast charger) charging station at the Nature Center was switched on in April 2024, contributing to the infrastructure growth necessary for wider adoption of EVs.
Now, EV drivers traveling across Iowa have a place where they are welcome to charge their car’s battery while charging their own battery with a walk through the Nature Center’s prairies, woodlands and wetlands during their pit stop.
Driving Sustainably
With a charging station in place, the next natural step was to get an electric vehicle — and the Nature Center went big! With assistance from Alliant Energy, Indian Creek Nature Center acquired an electric bus in December 2024.
The electric bus is used to support educational programs such as summer camps, field trips, Creekside Forest School, and other nature-inspired programs and events at Indian Creek Nature Center. As the bus transports students, visitors and families to and from the Nature Center, each passenger will experience a sustainable way to move through the world.
Sparking A Passion for Sustainability
Education is essential to building a more sustainable world. Indian Creek Nature Center offers a wide number of resources that educate visitors about the benefits of electric vehicles.
Signage next to the EV charger explaining EVs and how they work educates casual visitors. Visitors inside can interact with the touchscreen that shows how much energy the solar panels are collecting — which is expected to exceed what the facilities and the bus use over the course of a year!
Most importantly, Indian Creek Nature Center supports the adoption of cleaner technologies like EVs by educating Champions of Nature. There are countless ways that Indian Creek Nature Center encourages responsible interaction with nature, including educational programs that teach children to be stewards of the earth, blogs with sustainability tips for all ages and abilities, and festivals celebrating the joys and wonders of nature.
All of us must move through this world. How we move through it matters.
Citations:
- https://sustainability.stanford.edu/news/identifying-sources-deadly-air-pollution-us
- https://cleanchargenetwork.com/noise-pollution/
- https://afdc.energy.gov/fuels/electricity-benefits
- https://www.nrdc.org/stories/electric-vs-gas-cars-it-cheaper-drive-ev
- https://insideevs.com/news/752565/electrify-america-2024-charging-sessions/
EV charging station at Indian Creek Nature Center was plugged in April 2024.
Electric bus, which arrived in December 2024, will support educational programs at Indian Creek Nature Center.
Indian Creek Nature Center educates future stewards of the earth through environmental education.