Warren Green’s Secret Garden
Sydney Atherley ’27
Art by Ysabella Beatriz Chiongbian Punzalan ‘24
Located behind Titsworth, Warren Green was a sustainability co-op established here at Sarah Lawrence that encouraged students with similar beliefs about the environment to live in a shared space. However, because of COVID-19 policy changes, it was disbanded in 2020 and is currently a communal residence equipped with dormant solar panels, compost bins, and a garden. Warren Green’s Sustainability LLC is being reinstituted starting in the 2024-2025 housing selection process. The Co-op will be a living space that fosters students’ passion for sustainability efforts on campus. It is a great way to get involved with like-minded people; more information about the housing application can be found through the Residential Life services.
Gardening offers the dual benefit of positively affecting mental health and promoting sustainable practices through locally grown pesticide-free produce. With the limited student activities on Sarah Lawrence’s campus necessary to enrich student wellness, Warren Green’s community garden offers an outlet to all students; anyone is welcome to plant whatever they want in the garden with respect to other’s efforts and pre-existing crops. Even members of the landscaping staff have done some personal planting within the garden. The production and contributions of the garden have been very limited, though, due to the lack of general awareness the campus community has about its existence.
This past summer, students planted various greens in this space, including zucchini, jalapenos, mint, broccoli, potatoes, carrots, and garlic— the majority of which were very successful in their reaping efforts. An array of supplies is kept near the garden to aid students in their harvesting endeavors, including multiple rotational composting bins and a tool shed. The composting initiatives with organic materials are led through the Green Rights Organization for the World (GROW) established here at Sarah Lawrence College, and supplies in the Warren Green shed range from pruning shears, rakes, and shovels, to dozens of packets of seeds and potting material. Previous efforts have been made to enrich the soil content of the garden alongside composting efforts, such as introducing ground bones to increase calcium levels— it is the perfect asset for anyone interested in soil science alongside herbology. Every implement a student could want or need when growing any kind of plant is accessible to them in the garden; the only limiting factor now is the absence of participation in the matter.
With the arrival of winter, not much can be done in regards to planting new crops or making much progress in the garden. However, involvement with this forthcoming project in the Spring is vital in the revampment of the garden’s wellbeing. The goal is to promote an environment that not only perfects the optimality of this garden but expands it through enthusiastic and dedicated student action.
If you are interested in being part of the garden’s plans for next semester and want to know how you can be more involved, contact Olivia Keefe ’24 — she was responsible for the wellcare of the vegetation over the previous summer and has done an excellent job in maintaining it despite the lack of aid; her email is listed below. Warren Green’s garden is just one of the many dormant infrastructures present at Sarah Lawrence, but through a willing student body, the effort made can contribute to a more fulfilling experience for everyone in attendance.
We strongly encourage anyone interested to take advantage of this unique resource on campus. Happy gardening!