Sustainability and Composting at IAA
Written by Georgia Turner
At Interlochen, sustainability is critical in the community. In 2019, Interlochen earned the title of a Green Ribbon School–the only school in Michigan that had been given this title at the time of receiving the award. The U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools program inspires schools to strive for sustainable excellence and recognizes schools that reduce environmental impact on our planet. To receive the recognition, schools must embody three different elements of sustainability, including the school’s environmental impact, student wellness impact, and effective environmental education. Led by Emily Umbarger, the Director of Sustainability and Instructor of Agricultural Science, Interlochen’s sustainability initiative educates and promotes green living on campus and within the community. As mentioned on the Interlochen website, Interlochen “has a sustainability vision focused on leaving the world a better place for tomorrow.”
In 2017, the R.B. Annis Botanical Laboratory was installed on campus, with a community garden, beehouse, chickens, greenhouse, and compost facility. Volunteers around the community are always welcome to join the Lecture Series led by the greenhouse faculty and help around the garden as they water plants and feed chickens and quails. The greenhouse offers classes throughout the year for students at Interlochen to take, including Regenerative Agricultural Science, where students learn about modern agriculture and the science behind plant reproduction, composting, and soil health. Students help with chores around the greenhouse during class and explore what they can do to help combat climate change.
In 2023, the Sustainability team formed the first-ever Climate Action Plan at Interlochen with a sustainability vision for the future. As detailed in the official pamphlet for the Climate Action Plan: by 2028, Interlochen hopes to reduce overall greenhouse gasses on campus by 15% and divert waste from landfills by 20%. While these are just a few of the many ambitious goals set by the Sustainability team, hitting these targets allows the Interlochen community and people around it to do their part in “leaving the world a better place for tomorrow.”
Many students remain passionate about this initiative, leading student clubs around campus and composting in the cafeteria every day. Although many students compost, they don’t know exactly how it works. For this reason, the Interlochen Times sat down with Adam Olson, the Composting Manager at Interlochen Arts Academy, to learn about what he does for the community.
When asked about how students can be more sustainable on campus, Mr. Olson emphasized the importance of “awareness.” He suggested that students “figure out where the need in the community is and then fulfill that need… If you see trash, pick it up! If you have the ability to bend down and pick something up, then do it.” He highlighted that “what you do is what you are… anything you do at all has a ripple effect, it doesn’t matter how small or big it is.”
As the Composting Manager, Mr. Olson spends his days at Interlochen across campus at the compost facility. He detailed what a typical day in his life looks like, as he travels to Stone cafeteria to pick up the compost, and back over to the facility where he sorts through the food waste bags. Recently, the facility reached full capacity of compost waste, so Mr. Olson is currently busy sifting through the food “goo.” As he wades through the waste from Stone Cafeteria, even in the dead of winter at -20 degrees Fahrenheit, he picks through the applesauce containers, plastic utensils, and milk containers that students and adults carelessly toss away.
Composting is a natural process of recycling organic matter and producing a fertilizer that enriches soil and plants. Organic matter undergoes many phases before it can be considered compost, which many often refer to as “black gold.” A compost pile needs a balance of “greens,” nitrogen-rich materials, and “browns,” carbon-rich materials, to allow composting to occur. In addition to the required materials, a compost pile sits for at least a few weeks while the ingredients marinate. It undergoes a thermophilic process in which the pile’s temperature rises to around 160 degrees Fahrenheit and ultimately lowers to around 120 degrees Fahrenheit before it is ready to be sifted. Throughout all the steps, Mr. Olson is constantly picking out gloves, containers, and plastic utensils from the piles.
In terms of what can and cannot be composted, fruits, vegetables, eggshells, tea bags, and coffee grounds are just some of the “greens” that a compost pile needs to thrive. Things like meat, fish, dairy products, and bones should be avoided.
Students and adults at Interlochen can do their part in helping our sustainable footprint on campus. By taking some extra time to sort through food versus trash, students can help Mr. Olson and reduce the overall environmental impact at Interlochen.
As Ms. Umbarger put it, “If you want to make a change, start small. One person at a time. And if you really want to make a change, use your art as a vehicle to make a change and spread a message that you’re passionate about.”