Campus Garden
With more than a dozen fruit trees, an apiary for beekeeping, an earthen oven, chicken council, living roof, pond, and composting program, the Campus Garden is a flourishing sanctuary for wildlife and hands-on learning.
The Food Initiative supports the activities of students in the Campus Garden to manage an edible forest garden that follows permaculture principles, supporting ecological vitality while producing food for people. Students cultivate a relationship with the natural world.
The garden offers a tranquil, creative space for collaboration with groups such as the Department of Environmental Science and Studies, Student Environmental Alliance, Habitat for Humanity, and the Center for Environment & Society. The satellite Wild Foods Outpost at the River and Field Campus enables students to explore different methodologies of permaculture design.
Since its founding in 2012, the Campus Garden has grown into one of the most active organizations on campus — home to ecological research, internships, and community events and celebrations.
ARTICLE I – NAME
The name of this club shall be the Washington College Campus Garden, or simply the Campus Garden.
ARTICLE II – PURPOSES
Students who work in the Campus Garden are cultivating an edible forest garden by following permaculture design principles. Permaculture enables us to regenerate the land to a functioning ecosystem that also meets human needs. We practice observing the patterns of nature, including how various forms of energy move through our world, so we can work with those forces rather than against them. We also collaborate with the Food Initiative to experiment with modes of food production to maximize nutrient density and address regional food insecurity. The outpost at the River and Field Campus falls under the jurisdiction of the Campus Garden as well, where we are creating a food forest to provide wildlife habitat, edible food sources, and educational opportunities.
ARTICLE III – OFFICERS
Section 1.
The officer positions will include those of President, Vice President, and Treasurer.
Other positions may arise such as ethnobotanist and composting manager depending on
availability.
Section 2.
The president shall:
- Work with the Campus Garden intern, if she or he is not the intern.
- Lead weekly workdays to improve and expand the Campus Garden.
- Organize and lead events open to all campus members.
- Work closely with the club adviser to develop and implement projects.
- Assist with the development of the club budget.
Section 3.
The vice president shall:
- Assist the president with project and event design and implementation.
- Lead workdays in absence of the president.
- Assist with the development of the club budget.
Section 4.
The treasurer shall:
- Attend workdays and assist with events as needed.
- Assist with the development of the club budget.
- Track club purchases and finances throughout each semester.
- Meet with the Financial Controller as needed to make discretionary requests and discuss other budgetary matters.
Section 5.
The outpost manager shall:
- Direct field activities at the River and Field Campus outpost in conjunction with the president.
- Ensure that both sites are provisioned with appropriately maintained tools.
- Maximize forest food production.
Section 6.
The ethnobotanist shall:
- Study the functions of the plants living in the Campus Garden.
- Update and expand the online database of Campus Garden Plants.
Section 7.
The compost manager shall:
- Coordinate campus composting efforts and facilitate production at the garden.
- Direct programming related to organic waste awareness and literacy in the Washington College community.
Section 8.
The apiculturist shall:
- Help coordinate beekeeping at the RAFC outpost and the Campus Garden.
- Maintain Bee Campus USA certification.
- Work with the Center for Environment and Society on pollinator events.
Section 9.
The outreach director shall:
- Connect garden programming with educational opportunities, including local schools and the Farmers’ Market.
- Guide the development of community gardens.
Section 10.
Position appointments will be made each year. Students can volunteer for positions
and a vote will be held as needed.
ARTICLE IV – MEETINGS
There shall be a workday in the Campus Garden at least once a week, with more offerings based on the availability of the officers. These may be held in the Campus Garden or the greenhouse, depending on weather conditions.
Wild Foods Outpost
May Day Celebration
Making Campus Syrup
Vinegar, Beeswax, Sunchoke Pie
Kinpira Gobo with Sunchokes
German Club Collaborative Event
Baking in the Earth Oven
Healing Properties of Plants
Sweet Taste of WAC
Bay-Wise Certification
Casey Time Beautification
Apiary Inspection
Learning from Nature
Inspired by Permaculture
Garden Location
The Campus Garden is located behind 508 Washington Ave. From campus, drive past the baseball field and park just past the rainbow fence.
Compost Drop Off Location
Please contribute food scraps and pizza boxes to our compost collection bay accessible from road that goes behind the Western Shore dorms.
FWS Garden Program
Students in the Federal Work Study program are eligible to get paid for working in the Campus Garden. Contact Shane Brill to learn about the opportunity.
Garden Mission
Achieving food security through ecological design.
Vision
The Campus Garden reconnects people with historical foodways and explores future food resources that support environmental resilience. Students inspire healthy communities through the practice of permaculture and the multidisciplinary study of the environment.
GOALS
Animals
Create nectaries for beneficial insects, pollinator corridors, and habitat for bats, birds, reptiles, and amphibians; explore the inclusion of livestock in closed-loop systems.
Vibe
Grow an edible classroom and wildlife sanctuary that conveys a sense of tranquility, environmental renewal, and cultural reinvention.
Structures
Showcase low-impact, sustainable technology using natural and salvaged materials for cooking, food processing, teaching and learning spaces, and recreation.
Stormwater
Capture runoff from impervious services through the use of rain gardens, swales, ponds, cisterns, and soil infiltration techniques.
Fertility/Waste
Build soil by producing mulches and fertilizers through composted food waste and vegetation; cycle nutrients.
Food
Establish a mosaic of annual and perennial crop production infused with wild edibles in a multilayered forest garden; demonstrate educational models of useful nutrient-dense polycultures that thrive in the local foodshed; involve students in cooking, food processing, and preservation techniques.
Yields
Provide cutting-edge student learning and leadership opportunities in regenerative food production; host campus and community outreach workshops in gardening, cooking, wildcrafting, and natural building skills; develop fiscal self-sufficiency; create online profiles for useful plants featuring student-driven research; inspire permaculture sites across the region; redistribute surplus produce to community organizations in need.