Berea College’s 144th Mountain Day was celebrated on October 16th, 2019. One of the big events that day was hosted by the Forestry Outreach Center for the North American Association for Environmental Education. The morning started with a brisk hike through a part of Berea College’s some 9000 acres of forest. Sustainability professor Nancy Gift, and director of the Forestry Outreach Center Wendy Warren, led the hike, describing the importance of some of the indigenous trees such as the White Ash.
From there, the group got to meet the College horses who are managed by forestry technician, and Berea College alumnus, John Hite. The traditional process of horse logging is a fairly new initiative at Berea College and is less disturbing to the forest’s ecosystem than today’s heavy machinery.
After exploring the forest, guests were taken to the College greenhouses and farm. Berea’s farm is largely run by students and is the longest continually running college farm in the United States. Our Farm grows much of the food served in the College dining hall as well as at the Farm Store. Next we moved to the Ecovillage where many of our non-traditional students live. The Ecovillage is built around the idea of a sustainable community, wherein each student is expected to participate in sustainable activities such as gardening or composting. Each complex is equipped with solar panels and solar heating to conserve energy in line with the college’s commitment to sustainability.
Last but not least, we toured the heart of Berea College’s campus with our tour guide, Sharyn Mitchell. Sharyn manages the College’s archives and is a wealth of knowledge.
Did you know that Danforth Chapel is part of a series of chapels built by William Danforth in 1937, and that there are 24 Danforth Chapels in total, with Berea College’s being the first? The tour concluded at the Carter G. Woodson Center which honors Carter G Woodson, an African American activist, abolitionist, educator, founder of Black History Month, and alumnus of Berea College.
By the end of the day, we spanned miles of the Berea College campus. We saw the pigs and plants, the forest, and all the wonderful places built for and by students.
