D-E alumna and environmentalist Wendy Gordon Rockefeller ’75 returned to campus today for a tour of the Nettie-Louise Coit Teaching Garden and a chance to share her passion for environmental stewardship with students. Ms. Gordon began her day with 6th Grade Dean Ms. Tasha Urbanowski’s Middle School DIG Discovery class, who gave her a tour of the apiary, vegetable garden, and chicken coop located near the Upper Parking Lots. Ms. Gordon also visited Ms. Molly Davis’ 5th grade class and was an Upper School Environmental Club guest speaker.
DIG students in particular were excited to share with Ms. Gordon what they've been learning in class, including Channing Rose ’31, who explained the importance of “being mindful of what we’re eating and its impact on the environment.” When speaking about the apiary, Allison Hahn ’32, noted, “It’s cool having our own beehive [on campus] to pollinate the garden.”
Ms. Urbanowski also provided a brief history of the composting units created by D-E students who were 6th graders at the time (and are now in college). In turn, Ms. Gordon revealed that her interest in helping the planet also began in Middle School. “In 7th grade, I got passionate about the environment, and I never really changed course,” she said. Ms. Gordon went on to major in geology at Princeton and wrote her college thesis on uncovering the source of chemicals in New Jersey drinking water. Among her career highlights were co-founding the organization Mothers & Others for a Livable Planet alongside Meryl Streep, founding The Green Guide Institute, and serving as a trustee of the Rainbow Alliance. We’re grateful to Ms. Gordon for showing our community that some passions take root early, and grow for a lifetime!
