Sustainability
An important part of the The Pennington School’s vision is that “Our students develop a sense of responsibility for themselves, for others, and for the world in which they live.” It permeates the work we do in our classrooms, on the field, and in the greater community. Given that the concept of sustainability is inherently central to this vision, we have been working to support and advance sustainable practices and thinking throughout the School. This work has been taking place, and is continuing to develop, in several different areas.
Want to get involved? Contact Dr. Andrews and let her know of your interest!
Various classes and student clubs visit and work in the garden to engage in hands-on learning, conduct observational studies, and perform community service. Produce from the garden is periodically donated to area food banks or used in the dining hall.
We are continuing to enhance and develop interdisciplinary curricula that get students outdoors, in the pond, at the School garden, and exploring campus ecologies. This environmental education opens students’ eyes to the various effects—both positive and negative—they have on local and global environments and provides them with the tools and opportunities to make a difference in the world.
The pond serves as a wonderful outdoor classroom, laboratory, space for meditation, and active site for fieldwork and ecological restoration. We also work with an ecologist and invasive species specialist to develop a remediation plan for the pond that will involve the removal of invasive species and identification of native plant species that will provide critical wildlife habitat and improve the pond’s water quality.
The Pennington School is a no-idling campus. This change was spurred by student research, projects, and proposals. Students expressed concern about the number of cars left running at pick-up and drop-off. They conducted background research on the topic and carried out studies of idling cars on campus, concluding that idling has an impact on the environment, human health, and your wallet. Students wrote proposals and met with School leadership before the new policy was officially adopted and put into place following the completion of a new perimeter road and the introduction of new traffic patterns.
After five years of an on-campus composting program developed and run by students, we now partner with a local farmer who picks up all of our kitchen food waste to help feed pigs, chickens, and black soldier fly larvae. Residential faculty still deposit their food waste in our garden compost bins, and we also continue to compost campus yard waste.
Environmental Science students visit Lewis Brook—a headwater tributary of the Raritan River—each fall and spring to conduct biological and chemical monitoring. Ecology students carry out restoration efforts in the adjoining woods where a nature trail was recently established. The primary goals are to remove invasive species, minimize deer browse impacts, and introduce native plant and tree species that will help reestablish the tree canopy.