Sustainable Living

Central Florida is home to many vast and pristine havens of biodiversity not found anywhere else on the continent. However, the rapid rate of development in our area actually exceeds the rate of deforestation in South America. Residential opportunities in Central Florida are naturally in great demand. However, our peninsula's resources, notably water, land, and clean air, cannot sustain infinite growth. Decisions regarding how and where to grow and develop must ensure that this activity benefits Central Florida’s natural, social and cultural environment. The model of sustainable living integrates and gives value to a community's social, economic and environmental components. A sustainable community engenders a self-perpetuating environment of responsibility and respect, resulting in the balancing of present and future needs.

The resources of our planet, and especially of Central Florida, are precious and necessary to our survival. We seek to cultivate sustainable communities through education on aspects of daily living that allow us be aware of the consequences of our actions, to learn simple ways to tread more lightly on the earth. We offer this education as an investment in our present quality of life, but also for the future of generations to follow. Our programs in this department include rainwater catchment, organic gardening, permaculture, composting and vermiculture, resource conservation, and much more. Our education allows students to work with models of eco-sustainability and recreate them in their own backyards and homes.

For a list of our classes in the Sustainable Living department, click here.