Sustainability Education

Ridgewood’s commitment to Sustainability Education is evident across the Ridgewood campus. From student-directed recycling programs, to the Learning Garden, to the Land lab, students are learning their place in the environment, and how to better protect our earth.

Ridgewood’s Learning Garden, now entering its seventh growing season, offers our classes the opportunity to see the cycle of gardening from the selection of seeds, planting, tending, to eventually taking their produce to market. Upper Level students have the opportunity to produce salsa from their garden, engaging in cooking and canning in our kitchens. The highlight of our garden season is our Earth to Table Dinner, hosted by our Student Council and featuring dishes that highlight the bounty of the Ridgewood Learning Garden. The Learning Garden has been a community effort from its inception. Organized originally by volunteers, and maintained by students and their families, the Learning Garden is entirely supported by community donations and grants.

In Ridgewood’s Woodland Lab, a creek habitat on our campus, students may explore native Ohio flora and fauna, and see an ecosystem in action. The Land Lab offers opportunities for students to participate in removal of invasive species, identification of native plant and tree species currently growing, and land restoration through planting and cultivation of additional native plants. Local partnerships assist students with identifying, cataloguing, and tagging native tree and plant species, and teach students about land management practices and careers. The Land Lab allows students to learn about plant species native to Ohio, their benefits to the environment, the presence of invasive species and negative impacts on the ecosystems.