Established in 2022 by Avi Cariens ’25 and Jeffrey Bailey ’25, Organic Action for Communities (OAC) is a student-led council dedicated to constructing and sustaining a network of gardens throughout CA’s campus. OAC strives to promote sustainability by developing infrastructure and facilitating educational programs.
“One of my favorite parts of the project is working with a team of people with similar interests and making changes around campus,” Jeffrey says. “It’s fun to be a part of the building process, from buying the wood to building the beds, getting the dirt, remediating weeds, planting, and beyond.”
OAC has successfully cultivated six garden beds across campus. Three are pollinator gardens, featuring native plants from Concord and New England selected to attract bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. Complementing these are three vegetable gardens, whose produce serves a dual purpose—contributing to wholesome meals for students and providing donations to the local community.
In addition to having a tangible impact on the community through its gardens, OAC places a strong emphasis on education. This past fall, the group organized a workshop on pickling, skillfully led by Izzy Wood ’25, using cucumbers and herbs harvested from the campus gardens. Over the summer, Avi taught gardening to students ages 3 through 14 at CA Summer Camp. “What I enjoyed most about the experience of teaching was observing the curiosity and care each camper expressed for nature and the environment,” Avi says. The campers actively participated in mulching, maintaining, and harvesting the gardens while learning about the prevention of invasive species.
OAC plans to restore the faculty garden by Munroe House—an endeavor that will expand CA’s garden space and will align with the summer camp’s botanical studies.
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