私房俱乐部

鈥嬧�嬧�嬧�嬧�嬧�嬧�婽he Tower Garden Lending Program expands access to freshly grown produce year-round throughout the City of Erie, using aeroponic grow towers to turn any indoor space into a functional garden. Lent to community members such as the Downtown YMCA, Diehl Elementary School, and the Booker T. Washington Center, Tower Gardens help to alleviate food deserts and increase children鈥檚 exposure to the process of growing. Common vegetables grown in these towers include lettuce, spinach, kale, arugula, cilantro, and chives.

私房俱乐部鈥檚 green roof is one of our campus鈥檚 hidden green gems! Located on the roof of the Zurn Hall ceramics lab, the green roof is a self-sustaining planting of sedum, which requires no watering, weeding, or maintenance of any kind. Its benefits are myriad, including helping protect the roof from sun and water, thus extending its life up to 30 percent. Home to bugs, birds, and an array of native pollinators, the green roof provides habitat, as well as water filtration, insulation, and natural beauty.

私房俱乐部鈥檚 Tiny Forest is the first of its kind in northwest Pennsylvania and one of only a handful in the world. Designed and installed by Biology Professor Dr. Chris Dolanc, this planting technique uses the closeness of the trees to increase forest density and increase growing speeds up to three times faster than a typical forest. By attracting native insects and birds, providing a condensed natural space, and offering such environmental benefits as carbon sequestration and air purification, the Tiny Forest is a unique canvas for research projects and community inspiration.

A great way to join a group of student change makers, the Sustainability club offers projects, activities, and good times! Pictured here, President Anna and Vice President Emma host a potting activity for the Wellness fair, allowing participants to plant a succulent of their choice into an upcycled drinking glass. The club meets once a month to create sustainable crafts, such as pinecone ornaments and turmeric anthotypes, discuss plans for projects such as the greenhouse, and test their sustainable knowledge with trivia nights and bingo. 听

Installed in May 2023 by the University Laudato Si鈥� Committee, four raised beds grow a variety of vegetables throughout the summer and fall. Contributing produce to the Mercy Market and the dining halls, the gardens help provide the campus with organic and locally grown foods while allowing students the chance to get their hands dirty and experience the art of growing. The garden beds have also provided inspiration for such projects as an indigenous planting of the Three Sisters (squash, beans, and corn) and a microbiology study determining the advantages of unique compost bacteria on the growth of tomatoes