Santa Clara University
EN-8: Staff Professional Development

In cooperation with the Center for Sustainability, the Forge Garden, Santa Clara's 1/2 acre organic garden, provides workshops for employees throughout the year. These workshops are held both during the week and on weekends to make them available to the maximum number of people. These workshops are available to all staff at no cost. The workshops are usually two hours long and cover broad topics of environmental stewardship, sustainability, urban gardening and more. Some example workshops include:  Fruit Tree Pruning Workshop: This workshop included the basics of pruning fruit trees, a demonstration, and a presentation on the importance of pruning fruit trees. Fall Planting Workshop: This workshop included a presentation and demonstration on fall planting. It also included a planting guide, tips on how to monitor plants' growth and health. Worm Compost Workshop: This workshop covered the basics of vermicomposting and gave attendees a new worm bin. During the summer, the Center for Sustainability offers the Sustainability Summer Series. Each Wednesday, employees are invited to attend a behind-the-scenes tour of a sustainability-related component of campus life. Guest speakers from various departments offer tours and presentations to teach employees about sustainability. Topics include: housing and residence life, water and landscaping, waste diversion, energy and climate change, dining services, the campus garden, and sustainable features of campus recreation.