We’re building this orchard

Several USC students and Professor Tom Syfert are building three new projects at Rosewood Community Orchard.

The students are part of a sustainability projects course that includes building structures to aid the campus and community. Most of their contributions go to the orchard, which was established 12 years ago near Jim Hamilton-L.B. Owens Airport. The students are working on a toolshed, hydroponic farming and a keyhole garden, a keyhole shaped space that helps retain soil moisture. 

“This is my classroom right here,” Syfert said.

Syfert created the  course alongside research Professor Gwen Geidel and sustainability director Michael Coleman about 16 years ago, Syfert said. Students have completed about eight projects at the orchard within the past five years. 

What are the students’ goals for each of the projects?

“Just that it looks good and doesn’t fall out of the garden,” student Katie Chattaway said.

The students in the class, including engineering student Tristen Davis, are not exclusively environmental science majors. A course like this requires building and working with tools. 

“I saw the course description, and I wanted to do it because it was more like hands-on and outside,” Davis said. “I thought it’d be a good break from my other classes and serve with the community.”

Each of the structures is meant to be useful, perhaps especially the toolshed.

“The tools are kind of just outside . . . people steal their tools on occasion, so that will be good,” Davis said. 

Syfert’s class can cover a wide range of hands-on skills, depending on the project. 

“We teach them all kinds of different things,” Syfert said. “They built that whole brick wall. Also, they used a jackhammer.”

Most of the constructed areas were built by Syfert’s sustainability students, including a boardwalk and a solar-panel kiosk. 

“These solar panels we actually got from our geology group,” Syfert said. “We have a group that does seismic monitoring across the state, and they had some leftover solar panels. I got the leftover solar panels and batteries.”

The sustainable projects class can be competitive to join, Syfert said, as there are only 20 openings. The professor tends to keep the class tight-knit even after students “class” in the orchard. He has invited the class to dinner dialogues and croquet contests this semester.

“I try to get the students involved,” Syfert said. “We do different tours and field trips and things like that, so it’s fun.”

Several students mentioned they did not know about the Rosewood Community Orchard before joining the class despite its proximity to the school. The class has encouraged students such as Sarah Phillips to volunteer and visit. 

“Now that I know about it, I come out here sometimes with my friends,” Phillips said.