Reducing Waste and Protecting Natural Spaces in Annapolis

Our campus is nestled between the bustling streets of the city of Annapolis and the languid, flowing waters of College Creek. We are acutely aware of the importance of our physical environment’s impact on both the college community and our neighbors in the surrounding city, which is why our campus participates in a number of initiatives and partnerships to ensure our natural spaces endure for future generations of Johnnies. Read on to learn more about our efforts, which range from oyster farming and geothermal heating and cooling to food recovery designed to address food insecurity in our community.

Maryland Green Registry Membership

Since 2018, St. John’s college has been a member of the Maryland Green Registry, which promotes and recognizes sustainable practices at organizations in the state. Member orgs agree to share at least five environmental practices and one measurable result while striving to continually improve their environmental performance.

Campus Gardens and Green Spaces

• There are several gardens and green spaces on campus, including the Greenfield Library plaza and sunken garden, and a garden near Hodson House.
• The student-run Garden Club helps maintain and improve garden spaces on campus.
• Our Campus Culinary Garden, located outside Higgins Dining Hall, is tended by Bon Appétit chefs who grow a variety of herbs and hot peppers. Its proximity allows chefs to harvest ingredients at peak freshness, strengthening our community’s connection to the food we serve. Each October, the peppers are harvested and transformed into a house‑made hot sauce available for students.

Energy Conservation

• Residential buildings Spector Hall and Gilliam Hall are both heated and cooled with a geothermal system. There are more than one hundred 6-inch “wells” located approximately 300 feet underneath the soccer field and in front of the tennis courts on campus.
• We have installed reflective white roofing on Pinkney and Chase-Stone buildings and part of Mellon Hall. These roofs help reduce the amount of heat absorbed into buildings during the hot summer months.
• We have installed interior window inserts in Fielding-Rumore Hall and McDowell to decrease heating and cooling loss and minimize drafts
• Upgraded 95 percent of McDowell Hall and Fielding-Rumore Hall lighting to LED during the last renovation
• Ongoing project to retrofit existing campus with LED technology during routine maintenance
• Campus boilers utilize two fuel sources which allow us to switch to an alternate fuel during peak gas demand days
• Mellon Hall utilizes an ice bank storage system to produce ice during off-peak hours when electricity demand is lower, then uses this ice during the day for cooling, reducing chiller loads
• Installed high efficiency variable refrigerant flow (VRF) heating and cooling system in Fielding-Rumore Hall dorm rooms
• We use building automation software (BAS) to remotely monitor room temperatures and set run times for large air handlers based on scheduled uses, reducing the amount of power spent during off-peak times

Water Conservation and Stewardship

• There are several bottle filling stations on campus. The college is working to install new stations in the campus residence halls.
• Replaced 80 percent of bottled water coolers with directly plumbed countertop dispensers, saving money and decreasing our carbon footprint by reducing water delivery.
• Between Spector Hall and the Heating Plant are rain gardens, filled with native plants and flowers planted in a small depression which holds and absorbs rainwater runoff from roofs and paved surfaces, reducing pollution in College Creek. They were installed in 2002 and made possible by a gift from the Annapolis Class of 1993.

Living Shoreline and Oyster Garden Project

• In 2006, the college worked with an engineer from the Chesapeake Bay Foundation to renovate the shoreline at College Creek. This work stabilized the marsh and created a strong buffer against erosion. Each year volunteers from the campus community clean up the shoreline and keep it healthy.
• Since September of 2019, St. John’s staff and student boathouse stewards have been growing oysters off the Hodson Boathouse docks, joining in a wider community effort to restore the bay.

Food Waste and Sustainable Practices

• Our dining hall is committed to purchasing locally sourced ingredients whenever possible. On average, we source between 20 to 30 percent of our ingredients from farms and producers located within 150 miles of campus. These foods include eggs, honey, flour, lettuce, beef, tofu, and yogurt, among others. Our commitment to local food is about preserving biodiversity, protecting open spaces, supporting family farmers, and keeping money invested in our community.
  • Our longstanding local partners include Lancaster Farm Fresh Cooperative, Chesapeake Greenhouse, South Mountain Creamery, Roseda Beef, Green View Hydroponics, Ceremony Coffee, Rise Up Coffee, and more.
• The college composts food waste twice a week in partnership with Waste Neutral in Baltimore. Composting organic materials allows us to help reduce our climate impact, sustain healthy soil and crops, and divert food waste from landfills.
• Our reusable green food container program (affectionately known as “greenies”) diverts hundreds of pounds of waste each year from landfills compared to disposable container usage.
• Our chefs practice plant-forward cooking, emphasizing and celebrating plant-based foods. We serve vegetarian and vegan options at every meal.
• Since 2002, Bon Appétit has championed animal welfare and antibiotics overuse by working with producers who are willing to tackle these issues with us. In addition to partnering with local producers, we are committed to serving cage-free eggs, Certified Humane® chicken, gestation crate-free pork, and more.
• Our chefs strive to only serve seafood species rated Best Choice or Good Alternative according to Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch® guidelines. The Seafood Watch program provides science-based recommendations for both wild-caught and farmed seafood to ensure we’re helping to preserve our oceans.
• Each week, student volunteers deliver leftover and surplus foods to the Annapolis Light House shelter in Annapolis. Weekly donations, which regularly average between 30 and 50 pounds, directly address food insecurity in our community. Participating in food recovery efforts enables us to provide nourishing food to our neighbors in need while preventing waste.

Sustainable Tree Harvesting

• Piloted an environmentally friendly urban tree harvest—removed an expired white oak for later use in campus furniture projects

Sustainability / Environmentally Focused Student Clubs

• Garden Club
• Sunrise St. John’s
• Food Recovery Network Chapter

Work With Other Organizations

St. John’s College works with several local organizations regarding immediate and future environmental projects:

• Chesapeake Bay Foundation – Living Shoreline restoration project for 2023
• City of Annapolis – Bike path connections and campus access