Kanuga’s Legacy of Sustainability: An Earth Day Reflection

04.21.2022 - Camps & Outdoor Education

During the early days of Kanuga, almost 100 years ago, self-reliance and resourcefulness was integral to our mission. The leaders at that time knew the importance of being good stewards of the resources that God had given them. They started a vegetable garden and raised livestock to keep food costs down. They felled and milled timber from trees on property to make furniture and buildings, including the old inn and The Chapel of Transfiguration. 

The term sustainability did not exist in those days; the people of Kanuga were simply doing what made sense and what was fiscally responsible. They were laying the foundation for our sustainable legacy. 

Today, we are striving to do what makes sense for us as an organization and for the earth. Currently, there are 134 solar panels on various buildings around Kanuga and one solar hot water system that is being utilized in the cabins at Bob Campbell Youth Campus. We have a one-acre organic garden that supplements produce for dining services and a composting system that converts food waste generated by the kitchen into usable, living soil. 

As we look towards the future, we hope to reduce even more waste and divert 100% of our food waste from the landfill, produce more of our own energy via renewable sources, and expand our land restoration efforts. We must continue to invest in our future, as we have been called to care for this mountain valley we call home, and preserve its holy place in God’s creation.  

—Mary Kait Brown, Environmental Programs Specialist