Saint Mary’s University has officially opened its new $22 million Environmental Science and Sustainability Center, a state-of-the-art research and teaching facility perched on the bluffs overlooking the Winona campus.

The 35,000-square-foot building features water quality testing laboratories, a GIS mapping center, greenhouse research space, and a living green roof that serves as both an insulation system and an outdoor classroom. Large windows throughout the building frame views of the Mississippi River valley below.

“Our location in the Driftless Region gives students access to one of the most biodiverse landscapes in the Upper Midwest,” said center director Dr. Maria Santos. “This building allows us to study it at a level that wasn’t possible before.”

The center will partner with local organizations on community science projects, including water quality monitoring on the Mississippi and bluff prairie restoration research. Public lecture series begin in September.