in 2023, seven years ahead of its 2030 commitment.
The facility that houses the center opened in 2001, hailed by the top state environmental official as "the wave of the future in resource and energy efficiency." Sustainable building materials, green furnishings, geothermal heating and cooling were used when constructing the Center for the Environment building. Adjacent to the center is the 187-acre Fred Stanback Jr. Ecological Preserve, which consists of mature hardwood and floodplain forests. The preserve is recognized by the NC Natural Heritage Program as a significant natural area under management by Catawba College.
== Athletics ==
Catawba's athletic teams compete in the NCAA Division II South Atlantic Conference as the Catawba Indians, named after the Catawba Indian Tribe that is native to the piedmont regions of the southeastern USA.
Catawba features 22 NCAA Division II men's and women's sports.
Men's sports: baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, lacrosse, soccer, swimming, tennis, track …
