With Earth Day just around the corner, it’s a good opportunity to reflect on how we care for Earth, our common home—something deeply connected to our Loretto School Value of respect. At SMA and at the Loretto Motherhouse, there are many efforts — both big and small — helping us live this commitment each day. Inspired by Pope Francis’ pastoral letters calling for ecological conversion, we seek to live sustainably amid environmental distress.

Some of the SMA efforts are easy to miss! Solar panels quietly generate energy from the roofs of the Lower School and the Bishop Evans Sports Center. The Community Center is heated and cooled through a geothermal system deep under the building. The same year the Community Center was built, SMA became the first school in Colorado to install environmentally-friendly crumb rubber—made from recycled Nike shoes—on the Pam Bent Turf Field at Biddle Fields. In 2023, two more fields were turfed with eco-friendly, organic fill materials. An air-disinfecting system called needlepoint bipolar ionization improves air quality at the three schools and the Bishop Evans Sports Center.

There are other touches around campus: motion-activated lights, drought-resistant landscaping, and water fountains designed for reusable bottles, and more. Students are active stewards as well, caring for raised gardens near the Sanders House, tending veggies in hydroponic towers, and composting and recycling at lunchtime. 

At the Loretto Motherhouse, the farm is managed through regenerative practices and the planting of native grasses across large areas. The Farm Director often brings together other local farmers to share ideas and learn from one another about best practices.

In 2018, the Loretto Community took an important step in sustainability by permanently protecting 650 acres of Motherhouse land through a conservation easement. That same year, a peaceful meadow became the Loretto Woods Natural Burial Cemetery, which offers an eco-friendly option for both community members and others beyond the community. A Carbon Reduction Fund, an EV charging station, and a comprehensive recycling program are among other efforts in responsible living.

As we near Earth Day, we’re reminded that caring for Earth is deeply rooted in the Loretto School Value of respect, guiding us to make mindful choices as responsible and loving stewards.