Poly Celebrates Sustainability with Terrapalooza and Hügelkultur Planting

What began last year as an Upper School celebration expanded this year into a full K–12 initiative. Held on Friday, April 18, Terrapalooza 2.0 transformed the Upper School library into a hub of climate literacy, with more than 10 workshops on topics ranging from sustainable transportation to fire ecology and paper-making. A special bell schedule in the Upper School prompted even greater student involvement and enhanced cross-divisional interaction. Students sampled insect hors d'oeuvres, created crafts from recycled materials, and listened to keynote speaker Dr. Kelley Lê, a renowned climate educator, who emphasized that everyone has a way to contribute to the climate conversation.

Dr. Lê expounded on the theme of hopefulness by outlining all the ways each discipline can contribute to climate action. She shared that everyone has a way into the conversation and gave people permission to dip their toes in without exhausting themselves. 

“One of the main goals of Terrapalooza is to bring the entire Poly community together in a moment of hopeful, collective, climate awareness and literacy building," explained Upper School Librarian Nora Murphy, one of the event’s lead organizers. "From kindergarten, the kids are becoming accustomed to seeing the older students invested in climate literacy. The library is an interdisciplinary hub of all that we do for the climate, supporting our affinity groups, curriculum, and clubs as they intersect in this need for climate action.”

Organized on a shoestring budget by a dedicated committee of Poly faculty and staff members—including Avi McLelland-Cohen, Laura Fleming, Laura Marion—and Upper School students, with invaluable support from the Facilities team, Terrapalooza also featured a vegan lunch and cooking demo, reflecting the event’s commitment to sustainability in every detail. Looking ahead, organizers hope to expand the event even further with more sessions, edible gardens, and deeper community involvement.

As part of the Terrapalooza festivities, the Poly Film Program also premiered three new documentaries: one chronicling the reimagined ninth-grade Outdoor Education trip to Jameson Ranch, another covering the ribbon-cutting for Poly’s new solar array, and the third documenting the Hügelkultur garden project.

The day before Terrapalooza, another milestone took root at Poly. Two dozen students, faculty, staff, and Studio Petrichor's founders Leigh Adams and Shawn Maestretti gathered on April 17 to plant native species in the Hügelkultur berm they had built back in November as part of an innovative land restoration effort.

Hügelkultur, a German term meaning “mound culture,” involves building raised beds by layering decaying wood, organic matter, and soil, mimicking nature’s own methods for creating fertile ground. After months of curing through the winter rains, Poly’s Hügel absorbed moisture like a sponge, creating an ideal environment for drought-resistant native plants.

“The Hügel build felt like a true community effort,” reflected Aidan S. ’28. “At first, Hügelkultur seemed like just a pile of dirt. But as we layered soil, compost, and rocks, I began to understand its environmental benefits. Hearing Leigh's and Shawn's story about how their garden survived devastating fires really inspired me. It showed that devastation doesn't weaken our cause for a healthy planet—it strengthens it.”

During Terrapalooza, students took tours of the planted Hügel and learned more about the project. Now thriving with native plants, the Hügelkultur berm will serve as a habitat for local pollinators and wildlife, a living testament to Poly’s commitment to sustainability.