The Ohio State University Alumni Association

Chadwick Arboretum & Learning Garden
West Campus, Columbus

The Unity Fridge project
Waterman Agricultural and Natural Resources Laboratory

The Hope Gardens
Waterman Agricultural and Natural Resources Laboratory

Ross Heart Hospital Community Garden
Howlett Hall greenhouse

Preschool Garden
Ohio State Child Care Program, Ackerman Road, Columbus

Horticulture Complex
Ohio State Agricultural Technical Institute, Wooster

Larry R. Yoder Prairie Learning Laboratory
Ohio State Marion

EcoLab woodlands
Ohio State Mansfield

On 62 acres of green reserve, more than 20 stunning collections and gardens comprise Chadwick Arboretum & Learning Gardens. Since it took root in 1981, Chadwick has held firm to a land-grant mission by creating opportunities for education and research through its three sections: the Learning Gardens, Arboretum North and the Lane Avenue Gardens. Through the years, Chadwick has evolved to become a retreat where nature, education, community and relaxation converge.

“We have small pockets of urban respite for students to come and unwind — to walk near a woods, to walk near a pond, to be on a green roof and to wander through the natural world. It’s required!” Mary Maloney ’79, director of Chadwick Arboretum & Learning Gardens

This half-acre farm flourishes with fruits and vegetables to stock a community fridge that supplies crops for underserved families and outreach programs in the Columbus area. The Unity Fridge project began when Maggie Griffin, now a graduate student in social work, earned a 2017 President’s Prize, which helps Ohio State graduating seniors envision and implement positive social change. By pairing with organizations throughout the community, the project serves dozens of families and provides educational opportunities for students at local high schools and Ohio State.

“Unity Fridge benefits a population in Columbus that may not have health care or the resources or social determinants of health that they need. So, not only are participants picking up produce and learning recipes, but they also have an opportunity to seek social support.” Taylor Ollis ’11, clinical research coordinator at Moms2B, a program of The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, and a graduate student in social work

Amy Barr, left, Hope Gardens program coordinator, helps cancer survivor Cindy Reeves harvest a potato.

Angela Taylor, left, an Ohio State University staff member and a cancer survivor, shares some quality time with daughter Xyla.

The Hope Gardens began with a 3-acre plot on Waterman farm, called the Garden of Hope, which provides adult cancer survivors with an array of vegetables, fruits and herbs containing cancer-fighting properties. While the original plot and purpose remain, the size and goal have expanded. Today, the Hope Gardens provide produce and support to adult and child cancer survivors as well as Columbus-area residents in need. In addition, the research offers evidence-based nutrition guidelines while also furthering cancer research and service learning for Ohio State students.

“The Hope Gardens are a national model for land-grant universities that promote crop to clinic to community research, outreach and education. In our living laboratories, we have agriculture, medicine and a prestigious cancer center all working together to serve our community. ” Colleen Spees ’87, ’11 PhD, an associate professor of medical dietetics who studies how high-risk populations benefit from improving dietary and physical activity patterns

Participants celebrated the end of a program with healthy food and recipes.

Cindy Ryan holds a head of lettuce harvested from the garden.

Prepared and planted by students in a sustainable vegetable production class, the Ross Heart Hospital Community Garden provides a bounty of vegetables and herbs for several dozen heart patients all summer long. Patients and caregivers can sign up for free weekly classes featuring nutrition guidance, cooking demos and health advice. Once the produce begins to ripen in May, participants harvest it from raised beds (a safer option for people with heart ailments) and head home with fresh veggies, herbs and inspiration.

“Where else could you have a staff like this — that grows the food, prepares it and instructs you in how to do what they’ve done — in a small, intimate setting like this? It’s just wonderful that the university supports this.” Joe Coleman​, gardener

The Yoder prairie was conceived in the mid-1970s and has grown to more than 11 acres.

The prairie hosts species native to Ohio, such as this elegant milkweed bursting with delicate beauty.

This tall-grass prairie is the product of a restoration project born in the mid-1970s when former Assistant Professor Larry Yoder led his students to collect seeds at a nearby prairie in danger of being eliminated. It has since grown to more than 11 acres and continues to fulfill its mission of preserving species native to Ohio while serving as a peaceful destination for residents and a learning laboratory for students. To weed out invasive species and keep the prairie from becoming a forest, a wildland fire management class carries out an annual prescribed fire that also provides students with a wildland firefighter certification.

“This is a win-win situation. Our students get the prescribed burning experience and learn how to manage a controlled fire, and Marion gets to have the prairie burned for restoration, showing how fire is an integral part of prairie ecosystems.” Roger Williams ’77, ’79 MS, associate professor of forest ecosystem analysis and management

Ohio State University Extension's Woodland Stewards Program attracts landowners and natural resources professionals from across the state to gain skills such as tree identification and pest management.

The woodland comprises 600 forested acres in Mansfield.

This sprawling 600-acre woodlands, acquired in 1964, offers learning experiences for students and the public alike. Among the diverse tree species, some are more than 100 years old, while other areas have grown up on former crop and pasture lands in the past 50 years. Today, students learn how to produce maple syrup in one of several capstone courses that make use of the forest. And Ohio State University Extension’s Woodland Stewards Program attracts landowners and natural resource professionals from across the state to gain skills such as tree identification and pest management.

“Students get exposed to the natural environment and get excited about how they can impact it and how we can benefit by becoming better stewards of this resource." Kathy Smith ’85, ’89 MS, director of the Ohio Woodland Stewards Program, Ohio State University Extension