Volunteer Efforts In Sustainable Design, Water Usage, and Agricultural Processes at the James Wylie Shepherd Observatory

The James Wylie Shepherd Observatory exists as the most state-of -the-art facility for the state of Alabama. It is capable of world-class astronomical telescopic observation as well as astrophotography, has a unit for solar viewing, and is one of only two telescopes in the entire country that is designed specifically to be completely handicap-accessible. The observatory cost a tremendous deal of money, none of which the University of Montevallo, of which it is a part, was able to finance, due to a campus-wide financial crisis. Instead, all funding was raised through grants, private donations, and the fundraising work of teachers and students at the university. However, the most crucial part of the facility has yet to be brought to fruition. Though grants have allowed us to purchase an 800-gallon drum for converting rainwater into usable, drinkable water through a reverse osmosis process, 8 solar panels, and two self-composting toilets that will be used to support a garden for the surrounding community, we no longer have the funding to build a building around the observatory that would house these sustainable principles. Ultimately, the Observatory Complex will offer the southern region’s premiere completely accessible telescope, and will provide a plethora of educational opportunities for students and citizens of all levels of learning. The facility will house an outdoor planetarium/amphitheater, a docent's cabin, a digital planetarium, a scholars' dormitory, educational exhibits and a visitor center in which groups can see images generated by the main telescope. Additional smaller scopes for solar and planetary observing can be set up at various locations outside the main dome, which will be surrounded by solar-powered outdoor lighting and the community garden. Our first step towards the fulfillment of this project, and what this grant will go towards, is the building of a control room. As per the situation now, the entire telescope is controlled from a laptop computer, and even this only when a professor or student volunteer with the proper operating knowledge is available. The construction of a control room would not only provide us with the capacity to house an official caretaker/operator, we would also have a place to store valuable and fragile equipment as well as building materials to be used for future buildings. Perhaps most importantly, this control room would also possess a restroom, solving a serious problem that has arisen any time groups of students from local schools visit the observatory. This will also allow us to initiate the installation of our sustainable water supply process, which will need to be in place first so that all future buildings and facilities will be able to utilize it effectively.