Community Garden and Greenhouse

The student-run campus garden and greenhouse supplies 100% organic produce - such as cabbage, lettuce, broccoli, spinach, chard, eggplant, peppers, tomatoes, and soon, strawberries - to community organizations. Equipped with an aquaponic growing system and raised wicking beds, the campus garden helps conserve water during warmer months.

Ecolab

Ecolab is university-owned land located east of campus off of Highway 29. Since its inception in the Fall of 2014, Ecolab allows students to gain invaluable experience doing environmental fieldwork such as water quality analysis and sediment collection. Recently, the Ecolab has expanded to include a variety of projects such as GIS, restoration work, and more. Ecolab demonstrates Southwestern’s commitment to sustainability and offers a diverse opportunity for hands-on fieldwork for students of a variety of academic interests.

Landscaping

Approximately 90% of the landscape on campus is native or drought-tolerant. In addition, Southwestern produces mulch from trees that had to be removed for health or safety reasons.

Protecting Pollinators

A circular garden near the campus greenhouse was designed especially to attract bees and butterflies. Using low-maintenance, pollinator-friendly plants such as the Yellow Yarrow, Yellow Columbines, Guajillo, or the Cardinal Feather, this garden aims to draw attention to the environmental problem of disappearing bee populations and the importance of pollinators.