August 26, 2009
St. John’s is in the process of ‘cultivating its own (organic)
garden.’ The student-run venture marks the University’s most recent
achievement in response to Mayor Bloomberg’s Mayoral Challenge to
reduce carbon emissions by 2017.
On August 18, representatives from Student Government, the Earth
Club and Student Sustainability Coordinators, were joined by
members of the newly formed University-wide Sustainability
Committee to cast the first seeds. The group planted perennial
flowers and organic lettuce seeds.
The
garden, which is a Sustainability Committee initiative, “closes the
loop of the food cycle,” said Facilities Services Director of
Environmental and Energy Conservation Thomas Goldsmith. “The cycle
goes from soil and seed to vegetable growth for our nourishment to
organic food waste to compost — the backbone of an organic garden,”
he explained.
Luke Halligan from the Brooklyn Botanic Garden and William Bernor,
Facilities Services Director of Grounds — who were crucial in
selecting the locale and providing professional gardening tips —
were also on hand to enjoy the fruits of their labors.
Seeds of Change
The garden’s 34x54-ft. landscape, situated behind Donovan Hall on
the Queens campus, will be maintained entirely by students under
the supervision of the Office of Facilities Services and the
Department of Student Life.
“As an urban university making the best use of space,” Vice
President of Facilities Services Brij Anand observed, “the garden
reflects what can happen when student engagement is coupled with
St. John’s teamwork.” He added, “It is a giant step forward in
fulfilling St. John’s pledge of creating an environmental
stewardship through out of classroom experiential
learning.”
Agreeing, Frank Cantelmo, Ph.D., a Sustainability
Committee Co-Chair, added “we value student input and student
engagement in all our undertakings. It is crucial to St. John’s
strategic objective of changing the University’s culture by making
it more student-centered.”
Underscoring this point, Student Government President Patrick
McBurney pointed out that “student involvement is an integral
component in ensuring the success of the garden. In fact, we’ve
seen that anything that is student-driven us more likely to
succeed,” he said.
Giving a Voice to Sustainability
The formation of the University’s first-ever Sustainability
Committee centralizes St. John’s sustainability efforts and
provides an institutional voice for these initiatives.
Members were drawn from across the University to include faculty,
administration, Facilities Services, Student Wellness, Student
Life, Residence Life, Student Government, the Earth Club and
Chartwells. The Committee is co-chaired by Dr. Cantelmo, Assistant
Dean for Student Engagement Mary Pelkowski and Brij Anand.
The Committee’s priorities over the next six months include
reaching out, involving and educating students about
sustainability. In addition, they are focusing on: participating in
the October 9-11, 2009 University of Notre Dame conference on
“Renewing the Campus: Sustainability and the Catholic University”;
launching a Spring 2010 course on sustainability; determining
whether students who work in the garden will receive academic
service credit; exploring micro business possibilities; providing a
gardening training workshop; improving student communications about
recycling rules; and developing a designated St. John’s
sustainability website.
The Sustainability Committee is an “environmental milestone,”
said Ashley Brown, president of the Earth Club, reflecting the
sentiments of the other student groups involved in the
Committee.
“I feel strongly about sustainability initiatives and am most happy
that members of the Earth Club have the opportunity to be involved
and make a difference. This has given all of us an identity with
St. John’s.”