On any given morning at Oliverian, you might find students knee-deep in garden beds, carving spoons in the woodshop, or clearing a trail that winds through the forest near campus. The sounds of laughter mix with the scrape of shovels and the cluck of chickens—a rhythm of work and care that defines our Stewardship program.
Stewardship at Oliverian is a hands-on exploration of optimism, curiosity, and care—of self, of nature, and of community. Through the lens of homesteading and regenerative land management, students learn what it means to live responsibly and creatively in harmony with the world around them.
Each week, they roll up their sleeves to tend to people and place: improving shared spaces, harvesting from the garden, maintaining trails, or volunteering with partners like the local forest service or animal shelter. They learn that being a good steward begins right where you are—with small, deliberate acts that add up to something larger.
In traditional skills, students might carve a spatula from a piece of fallen maple, repair a tool shed, or cook a meal with what they’ve foraged and grown. In naturalist studies, they slow down to notice the world more deeply—identifying plants, tracking animal signs, and learning to read the forest like a living story.
Our homesteading work blends sustainability and creativity. Students plant, tend, and harvest vegetables and fruit; experiment with composting and soil enrichment; and build simple structures from reclaimed materials. Our flock of chickens contributes to the ecosystem through soil improvement and composting—and offers a daily reminder that care given returns in kind.
At Oliverian, stewardship isn’t just a class—it’s a Pillar, a way of seeing and shaping the world. It asks students to hold the tension between individuality and community, to give of themselves in service to others and to the land, and in doing so, to find their own sense of purpose and peace.
During Electives Week and into the first part of quarter two, Joshua and his students completed a three-year project to combat monoculture on Library Hill. By cutting back aspen trees and other invasive species that do not produce food, and encouraging the growth of fruit trees and flowers, they have created a more biodiverse and sustainable habitat.
Whether digging drainage ditches, or sweeping a common space after dinner, students discover that every act of attention and effort matters—and that, together, they are leaving this place better than they found it.
