Information: marist.org or 770-457-7201.
Even before she signed up for an environmental science class, Marist School student Mary Grace Gaskin recognized ecological problems on the 77-acre campus.
“For instance, there’s a place along Nancy Creek that’s just the worst,” said the senior from Dunwoody. “The creek beds are overgrown with plants that have very strong roots and choke out the native vegetation that works as filters against pollution.”
As a class project, Gaskin was on a team charged with tackling an environmental project, and the creek beds became the focus. “We were gearing up to get out there and pull the weeds by hand,” she said. “But then we heard about the sheep.”
For a week in May, the 1,100-students school hosted a herd of sheep that made quick work of the invasive species along the creek. Not only did the woolly critters become the center of curious spectators, they also served an ecological purpose that fulfilled Gaskin’s project. At the same time, their presence meshed with the Terra Project, a school-wide initiative launched in 2009 to raise awareness about the impact of actions on the environment.
Establishing the project and getting the school community behind it were made easier by the fact that various environmental initiatives were already in place when Father John Harhager became president of the school seven years ago.
“I’ve always been interested in environmental issues, and I was pleased to find there were already a number of projects on campus,” he said. “We had classes and clubs that were doing really well, but they weren’t influencing the whole school or involving the administration and maintenance.”
The project coordinated efforts across the campus, starting with students in the environmental science classes pitching projects that could improve the school property. Along with hiring sheep to clear invasive undergrowth, the project has installed two rooftop gardens, created rain and pollinator gardens and established natural habitats for bats.
“They’re all student ideas that show we are doing what we can to save our world,” said Harhager. “The students do it all, from working through the implications, budgeting and even sometimes doing the work themselves.”
The school’s commitment to the project is supported by a director of sustainability. Amelia Luke, who took the job five years ago, is the first person to have the responsibility full-time.
“It’s something I’m extremely passionate about,” she said. “We started doing one small initiative, like getting rid of all the incandescent bulbs and retro-fitting with LED lights, and it’s moved onto larger projects that center around issues we might have on campus.”
Nancy Creek, that runs through the grounds off Ashford Dunwoody Road, gets a good deal of attention, with two clean-ups a year and several efforts to plant native species along its banks. Those sorts of projects empower students to be agents of change, said Luke.
“At first, it was hard to get teenagers invested in this idea,” she said. “But now they’re leading the way on a lot of these initiatives, such as decreasing the amount of trash we produce by composting and recycling. They talk to neighbors and alumni about all the environmental things we’re doing - like bringing in the sheep. They’re proud of the work they’re doing.”
Students are also now jockeying for seats in the environmental classes, that are capped at 24 participants.
“We’ve had to have two classes to accommodate everyone who wants to take it,” said Luke. “They’re excited about a class that gets them outside and doing good things in the environment.”
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