Environmental Stewardship and Education

A mission in action.We don’t just teach environmental stewardship at Proctor, we live it. Proctor’s Environmental Mission Statement has guided the school’s building projects, implementation of renewable energy sources on campus, adoption of single stream recycling, and lifestyle choices as a community. We seek to leverage student engagement through classes, Project Period, and afternoon activities to find innovative, local solutions to global problems. We actively manage Proctor’s 2,500 acre woodlot, and study our forest and the Proctor Pond in an effort to help students understand the longitudinal health of our natural resources. We capture electrons with solar panels, a project researched and initiated by students, work actively to reduce, reuse, and recover resources in order to reduce our impact on the environment.

Proctor’s Environmental Mission

The Proctor Woodlands

The Proctor Woodlands serve as an integral part of the educational, ecological and fiscal aspects of the school. The lands encompass approximately 2,500 acres of woodlands, fields, and associated wetlands. Lands are managed under the principles of multiple use, encompassing fish and wildlife habitat, forest lands, soil and water resources, and aesthetics/spiritual values.

A Living Classroom

The Proctor Woodlands are not only important ecologically, but provide an invaluable resource as a living classroom for Proctor students. Conservation Ecology and Forestry Science classes utilize Proctor’s land on a regular basis as a core part of its curricula as both classes focus on ecological principles, research techniques and management practices. Additionally, the Woodlands serve as a perfect laboratory for Environmental Science, Biology, and Botany classes. Many other academic departments also use the Woodlands as a learning platform, especially for courses like Surveying various English electives, and the Visual Arts.

Stewarding 2,500 Acres

Over the past sixty years, Proctor has acquired its lands from a variety of adjacent property owners who decided to partner with Proctor and sell or donate their lands to the school. Since 1980, Proctor has acquired an additional 1000 acres of woodlands and fields. Proctor’s environmental philosophy has been driven by the value of community, of which natural resources are critical parts. We understand and celebrate these lands as educational, recreational, and community assets that must be stewarded responsibly and have twice been named New Hampshire Tree Farm of the Year!

A Gateway to Proctor’s Woodlands

In 2022, Proctor completed construction on the Woodlands Building, a beautiful post and beam classroom building built with timbers harvested on Proctor’s land. Its wet lab space, green house, and welcoming naive provide a home for the wildlife and forest studies at Proctor. Located adjacent to Leonard Field and Proctor’s extensive trail network, the Woodlands Building serves as a launching pad for student and faculty engagement with Proctor’s 2,500 acres.

Woods Team

Trail Map of Proctor’s Woodlands

Powered by the Sun

Proctor’s extensive investment in solar production on campus has allowed the school to produce nearly a third of all electric consumption through on-campus solar panels. Check out Proctor’s solar production in action:

Farrell Field House
Brown Dining Commons
Day Care Center
Burbank Dorm
Recording Studio
Mike Henriques and Betsy Paine Outdoor Center
Head of School's House
Alan Shephard Boat House
Teddy Maloney ‘88 Hockey Rink
Proctor Ski Area
Wilkins Meeting House
Woodlands Center

SolarLog public:
Ice Rink
Ski Area

SolRenView public:
Meeting House

Student Engagement in Environmental Stewardship

Academic Courses

Across all disciplines, faculty seek to weave environmental themes into their academic courses. Whether it is studying the evolution of the climate economy in Economics class, reading environmental literature in English class, or diving deep into environmental issues in AP Environmental Science or Forest Ecology, students come to understand that the stewardship of the natural world is not a compartmentalized action, but rather a way of life.

Proctor Environmental Action (PEA)

Proctor Environmental Action is a student-run club that strives to educate the community on environmentally responsible practices and raise awareness of global challenges and opportunities. Action is the key word here. Students involved do not just identify problems, they strive to find and implement solutions. In doing so those past PEA members have invigorated the environmental mission by changing the school culture. PEA Initiatives have included the elimination of cafeteria tray use (which reduced food waste by 11%), refusal to purchase bottled water as an institution, streamlining of Proctor’s recycling service, and involvement in the creation of Proctor’s Environmental Mission Statement.

Earth Day at Proctor

Proctor's Earth Day celebration is about fostering deeper awareness of environmental issues while celebrating all that we have accomplished in recent years. Through a full day of workshops, guest speakers, and action projects, students recognize and appreciate the scope of environmental issues and demonstrate awareness and understanding of positive, creative and innovative efforts made to solve global issues. Earth Day's educational goals are to provide a variety of experiential learning activities that will increase appreciation, elevate awareness, and/or deepen understanding of social, economic and ecological aspects of environmental issues and systems, so that community members can make informed decisions. Learn more about our most recent Earth Day celebration here!

A Timeline of Institutional Commitment to the Environment

Proctor’s long-standing institutional commitment to environmental sustainability is evidenced by these recent projects:

2022

2021

2020

2017

2016

2015

2014

2013

2012

2011

2009

2008

Housekeeping and Maintenance increase commitment to using non-toxic cleaning products.
Biomass heating facility installed replacing campus steam plant. This woodchip fed biomass plant has helped Proctor reduce heating oil consumption on campus by more than 65%.
Environmental Mission Statement adopted striving to achieve a carbon neutral campus and guiding institutional decisions for making environmentally responsible choices.

Environmental Stewardship

Hands-on environmental learning & sustainable campus practices, engaging students in sustainability at Proctor Academy

The Proctor Woodlands: Our Living Laboratory

As these beautiful fall days transition to full blown stick season, and then winter, our goal is to continue to immerse ourselves and our students in the healing, inspiring, energizing surroundings of the woodlands.

The Proctor Cabin Hike: Culture Setting with the Class of 2028

After phones were collected, peak foliage and crisp fall weather greeted our 64 freshmen as a stream of spry young legs bounded their way beyond Johnson House and into the Proctor Woodlands to the Cabin.

Proctor Academy Wilderness Orientation 2024

Wilderness Orientation 2024: Taking Pride in What We Do

Wilderness Orientation is hard. It challenges even the most experienced, rugged individuals because it asks us to live in close community with each other, to embrace our flaws, to appreciate our strengths, and to understand that any living community will have its natural ebbs and flows of energy and emotions.

Earth Day 2024: Engage, Experience, Act

We have never been more connected to each other (digitally), yet we have never been more disconnected from the world around us which is why celebrating Earth Day the Proctor way always comes as an exhausting, refreshing change of pace.

Mountain Classroom: Gila Wilderness and River Crossings

Proctor Academy's Mountain Classroom program emerged from a 10 day backcountry adventure in the Gila Wilderness. Read more from Katy '25 and Noah '25 in their most recent blog post from the field.

Mountain Classroom: Kicking Off the Spring Term

After around a month-long hiatus, the Mountain Classroom blog is back! As the first of four total blog posts, Molly and Niko cover just what has happened during the first two weeks of the program!

The Journey: Powering Down for More

All over the Proctor proper, students are taking a different kind of road less traveled as they gently springboard back into themselves and into the final stretch of the 2023-2024 school year.

Mountain Classroom: The Adventure Begins

From snow to rain and cold, the Mountain Classroom group has been up to a flurry of eventful activities. Starting in the farmlands of Huntington, Vermont, the group stayed in a very pretty heated barn allowing us to settle into the frontcountry, and start our work with Penny Huett, our black ash basket instructor.

Proctor Academy Cabin Environmental Stewardship

Sustaining and Crafting Culture: 9th Grade Cabin Hike

Every year at Proctor is wholly new, yet remarkably familiar. The faces of students change over time, both as they mature and as the natural turnover of the student body every four years introduces new, eager minds ready to embark on their Proctor experience.