E.H. Steffen Center

The E.H. Steffen Center of the School of the Environment is a university research center and outdoor ecological laboratory hosting education and research activities in ecology and conservation science for students and faculty at Washington State University. The Steffen Center is situated on 45 rolling acres on the edge of the expansive WSU Pullman campus and contains greenhouses, research labs, a work shop, and specialized facilities for studying wildlife and threatened and endangered species. The Center also supports a campus forest and naturalized habitats for studying ecological restoration of Palouse Prairie – one of the most endangered grassland ecosystems in the United States.

Palouse Prairie Ecological Reserves

The close proximity of the Steffen Center to the core of the Pullman Campus provides excellent opportunities for students and faculty to utilize the extensive campus landscape and a variety of riparian, wetland, grassland, and forest habitats as an outdoor laboratory.

The Steffen Center contains a native plant nursery and a botanical science garden for teaching and display. In addition, the Center is a hub for managing several tracts of native Palouse Prairie, including the Kramer Prairie Ecological Reserve and the Magpie Forest Ecological Reserve, both of which are available for scientific studies and educational uses.

Steffen Center and WSU Arboretum Dog Exclusion Zone

To reduce exposure of deer to the sight, sounds, or scent of dogs, while still providing access to students assisted by a legally designated service animal, a Dog Exclusion Zone exists within the Steffen Center and the WSU Arboretum that is warranted and legally justifiable under the provisions of the ADA. Map of dog exclusion zone (png)