Three conservation efforts taking place at Antioch College represent their long standing goal of becoming more sustainable. In this excerpt from WYSO Weekend, we highlight these efforts:
Up first, the college and Glen Helen Nature Preserve in Yellow Springs have secured a second land conservation easement that will forever protect 973 acres of the preserve. To get more details on the easement we spoke to Nick Boutis, Executive Director of the Glen Helen Ecology Institute.
Then, one of the sure signs of summer is the sound of lawn mowers cutting their way through neighborhoods across the country. That sound – too early on a Saturday or Sunday morning – can cause the gentlest of souls to gnash their teeth and perhaps curse their neighbors. Enter a new batch of 'solar sheep' which are providing grounds maintenance - chomping and chewing the high grass surrounding several acres of large solar array panels on the Antioch College Farm. Farm Manager, Kat Christen, has been on the job about four years. To find out more about the farm and the part these solar sheep are playing in Antioch’s sustainability efforts, we take a trip outdoors.
Finally, Beth Bridgeman, Instructor of Co-operative Education at Antioch College, recently took a small group of students to the Seed Savers Exchange conference in Decorah, Iowa. Seed Savers Exchange is the largest non-governmental seed bank in the United States. We spoke to Bridgeman to find out more about how the exchange works and how Antioch College plans to launch Ohio's first Seed School.
WYSO is licensed to Antioch College.