Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College is excited to announce a new partnership between the Environmental Institute at Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College and the Conservation Corps Minnesota & Iowa. Throughout September, a field crew with the Conservation Corps assisted students in the expansion of the campus medicine garden and raising a high tunnel at FDLTCC. The projects will create exciting opportunities for students at FDLTCC.

The partnership was led by students enrolled in the Sustainable Food Systems track of the Environmental Science program and Environmental Sustainability Certificate from Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College. The students designed the expansion of the existing medicine garden and have been working with the Conservation Corps team to bring the expansion to fruition. The Four Sacred Medicines of the Anishinaabeg oriented within the four cardinal directions are the main focus of the garden space. The garden will also be home to perennial plants for native pollinators.

“Having a more established medicine garden on campus will provide a place of congregation and contemplation for our students, faculty and staff,” shared Elizabeth Dean, the Sustainability Food Systems Program Coordinator at FDLTCC.

To celebrate the project, staff and students from the Environmental Institute at FDLTCC and Conservation Corps members hosted a planting day and feast on Monday, September 12, with community members, staff, faculty and students. Additionally, the team will be raising a high tunnel to help expand growing space and create more opportunities for healthy foods on campus.

Field Crews with the Conservation Corps Minnesota & Iowa serve outdoors restoring habitat, managing natural resources, and occasionally responding to natural disasters or community needs. For more information on Conservation Corps Minnesota & Iowa, please visit https://conservationcorps.org/ or contact Hillary Olsen, Member and Community Outreach Coordinator at Conservation Corps Minnesota & Iowa, at Hillary.Olsen*AT*conservationcorps.org.

The Environmental Sustainability Certificate at FDLTCC is meant to showcase the ways in which sustainability can help mitigate the local, national, and global effects of climate change and environmental degradation. For more information on the Environmental Sustainability Certificate, please visit https://fdltcc.edu/degrees-certificates/certificates-diplomas/environmental-sustainability/.

Testimonials

It is awesome here at the FDLTCC Education Program because it is like a family here, if you need help or are struggling with anything, you have quite a few people who will help you out.

My favorite thing about FDLTCC is the people. I’ve met fantastic students, faculty and staff who go above and beyond what I expected.

I chose FDLTCC because of its size and the curriculum. When I first came here in 2019, I was just looking for what I needed to volunteer, perhaps in a crisis shelter. I met with Don Jarvinen, and the rest is history.