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V O L . X X X N O. V I M A R C H 1 8 , 2 0 2 4 32 B U S I N E S S L E A D E R S O F T H E Y E A R AWARD DD: We're still growing and evolving. We have a 1794 farmhouse, an 1840s barn and the new dining commons and commercial kitchen and dorm. A year after we opened, we added four yurts as indoor classrooms and meeting spaces. Our campus is solar powered. But given the outdoor schoolwork we're doing, we need more beds. So we added two more yurts that allow us to bring in 30 more students. at's a sign of the growth that con- tinues to happen. MB: What's your enrollment? DD: We average 7,000 student- and adult-program participants. anks to moving to River Bend Farm, having our own site and being open year- round, we have over 5,000 kids doing outdoor school programming and our teacher institutes bring classroom teachers from all over the country. Our reach has expanded from regional to national and international. MB: How goes the Living Building Challenge? DD: e challenge requires buildings to run for a full year (post-COVID) to generate metrics such as energy use, energy creation, air quality and water use. at was 2023. We're in the certification process now. Our hope is to be certified by the end of 2024. MB: Has the challenge raised the school's profile? DD: Definitely. e past two sum- mers, we hosted a national regenera- tive real estate conference through [West Coast regenerative real estate company] Latitude, which heard about our living building challenge project and wanted to convene their gathering in a place that walks the talk. And our project won one a top award from AIA Maine and we hosted their gathering along with many other groups last year. Last May I presented at the International Living Future Institute's conference about how environmental living and learning centers can model these principles. I've been working with Ontario nonprofit DoorNumberOne. org, to create the Leading Beyond Green International Leadership Institute focused on regenerative learning and practice. MB: Any future plans? DD: We'll be working on a sustain- ability campaign to build both opera- tions and program endowments. And we'll be growing our AgroEcology for Resilient Communities project. MB: How would you characterize the school's focus? DD: I call it the Four E's of Sustainability — environment, edu- cation, economy and equity. at intersection defines our mission. You can't leave any out. Climate change is the result of building economies that don't pay attention to the environ- ment. Some conservation work in past decades didn't consider equity. Our ability to consider these Four E's is important for how we can use our programs and our campus for broader public engagement and education. We're living in such a complex time. I'm really excited about what the Ecology School's programs can do to help people make sense of the complexity by being curious — learn- ing about nature, the environment, conservation, good farming practices, sitting down to good meals, being compassionate. Curiosity fuels us at River Bend Farm. e result of that curiosity and compassion is joyful and memorable learning experiences. Laurie Schreiber, Mainebiz senior writer, can be reached at lschreiber @ mainebiz.biz dwmlaw.com | 800.727.1941 A Different Way of Looking at Things In business, you have a lot to keep your eye on. Sometimes it's hard to see the opportunities and the risks clearly. That's where Drummond Woodsum can help. We use a team approach – a small group of highly specialized attorneys focused on helping your business see what's ahead before you take that next step. It's extremely efficient and cost-effective, and an excellent way to get the legal insight you need when you need it. Congratulations to the 2024 Mainebiz Business Leaders of the Year! » C O N T I N U E D F RO M PA G E 3 0 Curiosity fuels us at River Bend Farm. The result of that curiosity and compassion is joyful and memorable learning experiences.

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