Sustainability

The Henry Brecher Sustainability Trails speaks to Oakwood’s commitment to a green and sustainable future. With several locations around campus, each stop along the trail focuses on greening initiatives, outdoor classroom spaces, and learning opportunities. Check back frequently as we add more stops around campus! 

Greenhouse

Overseen by Cornell Cooperative Master Gardener, Sue Cianfrani, the 1200 square foot greenhouse provides composting and vegetables to the community and dining hall year round. Flowers, pollinators, tomatoes, peppers, root vegetables, greens, and much more abound.  Take a look inside! 

Apiary

With four colonies and over 80,000 bees, the Oakwood Apiary hosts a thriving community of pollinators. With a flight radius of up to a mile, the bees foraging nectar, and pollinating flowers and vegetables all over campus and beyond.  In 2025, our Middle School students spun and harvested over 70 pounds of honey!

Wetlands

Oakwood’s wetlands are home to over one hundred species of native plants, animals, and fungi. When it rains, the wetlands fill up with water, forming small ponds called vernal pools. These temporary bodies of water provide many ecological benefits- particularly as breeding territory for invertebrates and amphibians. Wetlands are more easily disturbed than most other ecosystems, and thus they must be protected from pollution and disruption. However, when they are healthy like the one here, they provide a habitat and resources for annual residents and migratory species alike.

Solar Array

Our two-acre solar array stands as a powerful expression of Oakwood’s commitment to environmental stewardship. Each year, it produces more than 700,000 kWh of clean, renewable energy — offsetting 100% of the campus’s electrical usage and significantly reducing our carbon footprint. More than infrastructure, the array serves as a living classroom. Students engage directly with the science of solar power, exploring how sunlight becomes electricity and how renewable energy systems shape a more sustainable future. Visible across campus, the array is both a source of power and a daily reminder of our shared responsibility to care for the Earth and lead with intention toward a cleaner, brighter world.

*Signage made possible by a generous Earthcare grant from New York Yearly Meeting and the support of individual donors.