Ecology School brings the gold standard of green building

SACO — Earth Day was last week, but The Ecology School is celebrating the earth every day.

The hands on, environmental educational facility recently completed a $14.1 million project on its new campus at River Bend Farm on Simpson Road. The 105-acre property is under an easement with the Maine Farmland Trust.

“Maine Farmland actually holds the conservation easement on 96 of the 105 acres of this property. And it’s a highly restrictive easement. It will only allow for farming, education, scientific research and recreation. And we knew that from the get-go and we said, ‘great that’s what we do,” said Ecology School Director Drew Dumsch and a ribbon cutting ceremony on Saturday.

Dumsch founded The Ecology School in 1998, and for many years the school operated its day and residential programs on rented property at the Ferry Beach Retreat and Conference Center. Over the years, the school has hosted more than 187,000 students and teachers from around the country.

When the school was looking for a property to call its own, Dumsch searched long and hard for the perfect spot.

“We were looking for a unicorn,” said Board of Directors Member Corey Hascall.

They found it at River Bend Farm, with acres of farmland, wooded trails, and frontage on the Saco River.

The original farmhouse on the property is now used as office and administrative space.

A 9,000 square foot dormitory was built along the tree line, and nearby, a 7,000 square foot dining hall with a stage.

The Ecology School is one of only 23 projects in the United States to achieve the full International Living Future Institute’s Living Building Certification, the most comprehensive green building certification in the world.

The Ecology School campus at River Bend Farm has solar panels that will produce enough power to run the school, plus 5 percent extra. Storm water is captured by rain gardens to nourish fields. By 2025, 100 percent of the school’s produce will be grown on site or on a local farm.

Tom Merrill, Ecology School Board of Directors Member and former owner of River Bend Farm, spoke about the 12 years he and his wife lived on the farm before selling it to The Ecology School as well as the time he spent there as a child when his aunt owned it. He reminisced about family dinners, sledding, spending time with his aunt’s horses and swimming in the river.

“When I say I love this place, I really do mean it. And I also mean it when I say I couldn’t be happier then to be a part of what is happening here now,” he said. “Now, the love I have for Riverbend Farm will be shared, not just with friends and family, but with hundreds, thousands of children and adults from throughout New England and beyond for years to come. This place is truly magical.”

Speaker of the House of Representatives Ryan Fecteau, said as a young boy, he taught his grandmother about composting after going to The Ecology School, and he shared with his family what he had been taught about healthy foods.

“I took everything I learned at The Ecology School and brought it home,” he said.

Saco Middle School student Addie Burman, who has attended multiple programs at The Ecology School, said she was hesitant about going to The Ecology School at first, but she fell in love with the school and with nature. She recalled fond memories of playing games in the woods, learning about water cycles and eco systems, searching for crabs in tidepools, hunting for natural clay, learning about composting, making crafts and performing skits.

“The Ecology School camps will always have a very special place in my heart,” she said.

Publisher Liz Gotthelf can be reached at newsdesk@sacobaynews.com.