Campus Garden The 750-square-foot annual production vegetable garden is located beyond the northeast corner of the Center of Southwest Studies parking lot. During the growing season, this garden is partially irrigated through our rain barrel, which captures water from the garden shed roof.
Food Forest Orchard The EC's Food Forest Orchard uses permaculture design principles to create a growing space that includes fruit trees (apples, pears, apricots, cherries, and plums), shrubs, berries, and other native pollinator-attractant and medicinal plants.
Ozone Garden The northeast corner of the Food Forest houses the Ozone Garden—a collaboration with the Engineering Department. This garden features monitoring equipment that detects atmospheric conditions, including ozone levels, and highlights native, non-native, perennial, and annual plants susceptible to ozone.
Campus composting Our Rocket Composter diverts over 10,000 pounds of food waste from the Dining Hall annually, turning it into compost for campus gardens and landscapes. This closed-loop system reduces waste and supports sustainable landscaping efforts. Not available to the public.
Weigh the Waste The EC partners with Campus Dining on an ongoing post-consumer food waste awareness program. This program captures food waste from diners' plates to encourage them only to take what they will eat and reduce overall food waste.
Dining Hall initiatives The EC partners with Fresh Eats to reduce food and packaging waste and shift to lower carbon menu options. These initiatives support our commitment to sustainability, ensuring that campus dining promotes environmental responsibility.
Plant-based meals The Environmental Center and Campus Dining partner to offer a free, entirely plant-based meal during Earth Week in April. We also develop recipes and conduct focus groups with students to ensure their preferences are considered.
Free Store The EC's Free Store offers students gently used clothing, household items, and school supplies, reducing waste through reuse. Donations can be made during regular hours.
Move-Out/Move-In Program EC works with Campus Housing and Grub Hub to collect unwanted, non-perishable food, clothing, and household items like microwaves and mini-fridges, reducing waste during student move-outs. At the beginning of the fall semester, these items are given away or sold at minimal cost to students.
Recycling We work with campus residences and academic halls to educate the FLC community on proper local recycling regulations. For information on recycling resources, check out the City of Durango's Recycling website. We accept inkjet cartridges, toner cartridges, and batteries for recycling. You can drop of items at our office during office hours. This service is available only for campus-use items from FLC students, staff, and faculty. We are unable to accept personal items from home. We do not accept lightbulbs or electronics.
E-bike Loan Program The Environmental Center offers a free electric bike loan program to provide students and staff with access to environmentally friendly transportation. Applications are accepted at the beginning of each semester and are assessed based on need. Apply for the E-bike Loan Program today!
Ecological landscaping We support the campus grounds crew in maintaining natural landscaping and low or no-irrigation xeriscape gardens, focusing on minimal water use and biodiversity, attracting pollinators, and supporting and restoring native ecosystems.
Tree Campus USA FLC is proud to be part of Tree Campus Higher Education, planting native or climate-adapted trees that improve our campus environment by increasing shade and reducing irrigation needs.
Trail work Partnering with local community organizations, we host volunteer trail work events benefiting both recreationalists and commuters, helping to maintain the beauty of our region’s trails. Past and current partners include the San Juan Mountains Association and Durango Trails.