Environmental Stewardship
“As stewards of God’s creation, we are called to make the earth a beautiful garden for the human family.”
Bioswales collect excess rainwater from downspouts and run off from the blacktop and parking lot areas.
Stormwater Abatement & Bioswales on Campus
As the recipient of two generous grants, we were able to make improvements to our storm water retention beds that decorate the grounds. These bioswales are not only beautiful features of our landscape, they also support the recovery of storm water. In combination with the repavement of the parking lot and the re-roofing of the gym and school, we recover two and half million gallons of stormwater per year!
School Garden
Developed in 2009 with City and County Sustainability Grants, our school garden supports gardening projects for students, fresh produce for St. Vincent De Paul, a fall pumpkin harvest, and inviting space for science experiments. Ever mindful of this precious resource, the garden was designed to maximize water usage on campus. The garden is adjacent to two 5,000-gallon tanks which receive stormwater run-off from the gym roof and overflow from the roof drains. This rainwater harvesting practice is utilized for watering plants more sustainably throughout the various seasons. We regularly see students exploring the garden during recess or lunch.
First Graders about to plant vegetables in the newly tilled school garden.
Eighth Graders work the school garden as part of their Earth Day of Action.
Earth Day: A Day of Action
Earth Day at Holy Redeemer is not just a day we learn about the environment but a day of action for our students. Each year we plan age and grade-appropriate lessons, projects, and service work that teach our students to be stewards of our earth. In 2022 the students worked on various upcycling art projects, experimented in Earth Day science labs, collaborated in small groups about practical ideas that positively impact the environment, met with special guest speaker, Jason Holmberg, Executive Director and Co-founder of Wild Me, prepped the school garden, and planted seeds and starts for the summer and fall seasons.