Jane Goodall Center : What is Permaculture?

Our vision for the garden and its benefit to the WCSU and Greater Danbury communities includes the following initiatives:

• Add permaculture to a variety of WCSU courses across all disciplines.
• Offer an opportunity for students, of all ages, to unplug and spend time with nature.
• Provide food to campus cafeterias. Sodexo, the university’s food service, lent strong their support with some initial funds to begin the project. Items harvested from the garden will continue to provide fresh produce and herbs at harvest time as part of the dining hall menu offerings.
• Continued development of partnerships with Danbury Public Schools, initially with Ellsworth Elementary and The Alternative High School, both within walking distance of the WCSU midtown campus, magnet school and STEM program students.
• The simple experience of tending the new garden will provide inspiration to learn about sustainability practices. Something magical happens when the students are in the garden: They disconnect from their electronic devices and start reconnecting with the earth and with each other.

Helping our Garden Grow

The Jane Goodall Center for Excellence in Environmental Studies and students from the Center’s award-winning Roots & Shoots Club has been focused on raising awareness and funds by establishing local and regional partnerships, recruiting interested students and members of the community to design, prep, plant and launch the university’s first permaculture garden.

Fabien Cousteau presented a public talk, One Ocean One People on September 19, 2013 in Ives Concert Hall on the Midtown campus.

A very special Farm to Table Dinner was prepared in September 2013 and served by Sodexo/Westwind Catering in the Science building atrium with donations provided by:
Taylor Family Farm Danbury, CT, Anderson Acre Farm, Kent CT, Blue Jay Orchards, Bethel CT, Chamomile’s Natural Food Market Danbury, CT, Mountain View Certified Organic Farm Kent, CT, Whole Foods Market Danbury CT, Zelda’s Vegetables.

Whole Foods Market Danbury hosted a 5% Partner Day held on September 16, 2014 with 5% of the day’s sale totals donated to The Jane Goodall Center for Excellence in Environmental Studies at WCSU in support of our garden.

Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. presented a public talk, Our Environmental Destiny, on September 30, 2014 in Ives Concert Hall on the Midtown campus.

The Green Team at Whole Foods Market Danbury donated time and talented volunteers to our cause.

Grant monies have been awarded by The Danbury/New Fairfield Women’s Club to begin our garden project.

For the past two years, WCSU and the Jane Goodall Center has been host to the Annual Winter Conference of the Connecticut Northeast Organic Farmer’s Association held in March.  Join us on March 12 and 13, 2016 for the 34th Annual Winter Conference on the midtown campus.