What Lawrenceville is already doing
The effects of climate change are getting worse day by day, encouraging communities, schools, and institutions to help stop the severity of the effects climate change has caused. One of the primary ways to fight climate change is through the implementation of nature-based interventions. At The Lawrenceville School, projects have already been initiated to implement sustainable practices that will save forests, restore ecosystems, and reduce carbon emissions. But as research continues to discover new ways we can responsibly use land, still more can be done.
Lawrenceville has come a long way in environmental sustainability through its Office of Environmental Sustainability. There are hundreds of acres of agricultural fields, wetlands, and forests on the school property that not only provide learning opportunities but substantial environmental benefits as well. First is the Land Stewardship Plan, designed in partnership with Friends of Hopewell Valley Open Space (FoHVOS). It ensures the natural habitat of the school is being dealt with in an eco-friendly way so that these can thrive while also serving as carbon sinks diminishing the effects of climate change.
The Big Red Farm at Lawrenceville is another key part of our sustainability efforts. The farm is home to organic crops and animals using sustainable agriculture practices. Students take part in farm activities, getting first-hand experience in crop production while also helping out local food banks. The farm supports land conservation using practices that maintain soil health and prevent harmful environmental impacts.
Apart from agriculture and land conservation, Lawrenceville has also shifted towards energy efficiency and waste reduction. Lawrenceville has six LEED-certified buildings, which are energy-efficient and environmentally friendly. The solar farm, which holds nearly 25,000 solar panels, also generates clean energy and minimizes the carbon footprint of the school.
How Research Supports These Efforts
In the TED Talk, “What if there were 1 trillion more trees?” we learned about afforestation and the Bonn Challenge. The Bonn Challenge was created as a global initiative to restore 350 million hectares of forest by 2030 (What if there were 1 trillion more trees?, 2020). Researchers from Zurich Crowtherlab analyzed satellite imagery of the world’s tree cover and by their estimations, the world could support nearly one billion hectares of restored forests (That is roughly 1.2 trillion trees!). However, with finite space on the already diverse and plentiful Lawrenceville campus, planting new trees may not be the most effective solution to slowing climate change. What can Lawrenceville do with its already occupied lands to enhance carbon sequestration?
A recent report by Serge Wiltshire and Brian Beckage in PLOS Climate revealed that regenerative farming practices like rotational grazing, cover crops, and crop rotation can be valuable resources for sequestering carbon into the earth. These practices help boost soil health while taking CO2 out of the atmosphere in addition to fighting climate change. Lawrenceville can integrate these practices more intensively into its agriculture practices to reap their maximum environmental benefits (Skinner, 2022).
In another TED Talk titled “The Power of Sustainable Forests,” the speaker, Kathy Abusow, emphasized that forests provide “life-saving and life-sustaining benefits” by purifying air, filtering water, and collecting carbon, all of which are very similar to Lawrenceville’s environmental initiatives (TedxWilmington, 2016). However, Kathy warns that avoiding forest products could lead to accidental consequences—“everyone was so busy saving a tree they forgot they could lose the forest”—Lawrenceville must also balance conservation with responsible land use. The school’s Land Stewardship Plan ensures that forests on campus are well-managed, much like how responsible forestry practices maintain forest health and biodiversity. Additionally, the school’s use of sustainable agriculture at Big Red Farm can be expanded with regenerative farming techniques, mirroring the way sustainable forestry supports carbon sequestration. The speaker highlighted the carbon benefits of wood products, noting that a 17-story timber building “sequesters enough carbon to offset the power required to give energy to your home for about 222 years.” Similarly, by increasing forest restoration efforts, Lawrenceville could further its role as a leader in carbon sequestration and climate resilience.
What Lawrenceville Can Do
While Lawrenceville has come a long way, there are additional measures the school can integrate in order to further improve its green thumb. A good direction to move is expanding the use of regenerative agriculture practices on the Big Red Farm. In addition, afforestation and reforestation operations can be enhanced. The research from Bonn challenges and the report from US Forest Services indicates that land conversion from farmland to forests provides the largest carbon sequestration benefit. It is impossible to convert all agricultural land into forests, but allowing marginal land for agriculture to return to natural forest can be a strategic solution to reconcile agriculture and conservation. Lawrenceville can identify underutilized land on campus that can be restored to forest cover in order to sequester additional carbon (Chief, 2016).
Another area of growth is water conservation and watershed protection. Lawrenceville is already working under an agreement with the Watershed Institute, where it has committed to improving the quality of the Shipetaukin Creek water as well as reducing runoff. Expanding these activities to include wetland restoration could further enhance the ability of the school to protect the local water sources as well as enhance biodiversity. Wiltshire and Beckage’s research focuses on the key role that land management must play in addressing climate change. According to their research, modifying the way we use land—either through sustainable farming, the conservation of forests, or more effective land stewardship—can substantially reduce atmospheric carbon levels (Skinner, 2022).
Additional Benefits
This graph illustrates the benefits of biodiversity and nature-based solutions for both the environment and human well-being. It highlights how ecosystems provide essential services as now known such as, carbon sequestration, air quality improvement, flood control, and fertile soils, which contribute to climate change mitigation and adaptation. These nature-based solutions are good for carbon sequestration, and being in an arboretum offers not only environmental benefits but also positive effects on mental health. Unique green spaces create opportunities to increase our mental health and aside from disconnecting from screens and getting more sleep, exposure to natural sunlight increases vitamin D levels, which boosts mood and overall health, reinforcing the idea that getting outside benefits both nature and us.
Conclusion
Lawrenceville has already made a name for itself as a leader in environmental sustainability not only as a school but more so as an institution. By its existing programs, the school has demonstrated a dedication to land conservation, sustainable agriculture, energy efficiency, and water protection. However, as additional research is discovered including new ways of combating climate change through regenerative land management and agriculture, there is always an opportunity to do more. When analyzing the EN-Roads website and changing the slider for nature-based intervention, we noticed the projection for temperature in 2100 was marginally reduced but in addition to other climate change initiatives Lawrenceville could make a major impact.
By further applying carbon-sequestering agricultural practices, reclaiming additional wooded habitats, and saving additional water, Lawrenceville can further impact the environment while also providing valuable learning experiences for students. These steps not only will accrue to the advantage of the school population but also to the global effort toward making a greener and stronger future.
Works Cited
1.TedxWillmington. (2016). The power of sustainable forests | Kathy Abusow | TEDxWilmington. Retrieved February 24, 2025, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ia1ZZol0CeM.
2. What if there were 1 trillion more trees? (2020). www.ted.com. Retrieved February 24, 2025, from https://www.ted.com/talks/jean_francois_bastin_what_if_there_were_1_trillion_more_trees/transcript.
3.Skinner, C. (2022, June 22). Using regenerative agriculture to combat climate change: College of agriculture and life sciences: The University of Vermont. uvm.edu. https://www.uvm.edu/cals/news/using-regenerative-agriculture-combat-climate-change
4. Chief, T. T. (2016, September 2). Meeting the bonn challenge in the United States. US Forest Service. https://www.fs.usda.gov/speeches/meeting-bonn-challenge-united-states
Image: Grounding nature-based climate solutions in sound biodiversity science | Nature Climate Change
