Bluffton High School’s Sustainable Outdoor Inquiry Learning Project (SOIL) is a small garden in which science students, special needs students, and the Environmental Club members compost, collect rainwater, and garden in raised beds built from recycled materials.
SOIL plans to expand by adding a greenhouse made of recycled 2-liter bottles, additional raised beds, drip irrigation, and a vermicomposting center.
The SOIL garden models sustainability through practice; it uses reclaimed shipping pallets, reused Coca Cola syrup drums-turned-rain barrels, and composting to ensure a sustainable closed loop.
Beginning in 2016, the cafeteria will offer a salad bar purchase option for students and faculty, and SOIL plans to be a significant supplier of the fresh vegetables featured daily.