The Southern Environmental Center (SEC) is the largest educational facility of its kind in Alabama, dedicated to showing individuals how they can protect and improve their local environments. In addition to its award-winning Interactive Museum and the Hugh Kaul EcoScape garden on the campus of Birmingham-Southern College, the SEC is also active in the community. It has initiated a number of model partnerships targeting water quality, smog, and sprawl; its EcoScape program is nationally recognized as a model for urban revitalization; and the SEC co-manages the Turkey Creek Nature Preserve, home to three federally endangered species of fish.
The SEC works closely with BSC's Urban Environmental Studies program, one of the leading programs focused on the interconnectedness of the urban environment and issues of environmental and economic justice. The interdisciplinary program uses the SEC, Turkey Creek Nature Preserve, and the EcoScapes as living laboratories as well as sites for internships and undergraduate research.
