The Center for Working Lands

Climate, Conservation, Communities

We understand that working lands should not only generate income for landowners but also harbor and maintain biodiversity, protect open space, provide local communities with a sense of place, maintain healthy ecosystems, protect rural ways of life, and mitigate the effects of climate change.

Our farm, forest, garden, and green spaces offer you the chance to explore and experiment with balancing these ecological goals with economic and social benefits. We’ll connect you to real world problems and solutions through experiential education and research focused on five solution areas: Climate Forward Agriculture, Food Justice, Land and Habitat Conservation, Ecological Landscape Design and Sustainability Leadership.

Student Opportunities

At Warren Wilson College, you’ll have exciting and innovative opportunities to engage with the Center for Working Lands throughout your academic journey. More than 60 of our current courses, spanning all disciplines, utilize the land for instruction and reflection.

The option of working on the ForestFarmGardenEcological Landscaping, or CORE work crews provide you with hands-on, real-life experience and leadership opportunities in all facets of our working lands.

You will work closely with community partners, providing you networking and leadership opportunities with regional landowners, non-profit organizations and businesses, all while making visible contributions to our communities.

 
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Cultivate Fellowship

The Cultivate Fellowship provides students with opportunities to weave their passions for climate, conservation, food justice and the environment into all aspects of their Warren Wilson College experience, creating leaders that can make a real difference in the world.

Working closely with the Center for Working Lands, you will embark on a path of experiential learning meaningful to you that is integrated into your college career regardless of major, community engagement, work, or research interests. By becoming a Cultivate Fellow, you can make a difference now and into the future.

Our Mission

Engaging students and the world through experiential education and research focused on three Solution Areas

Students stand in the Warren Wilson College Garden, located outside of Asheville, North Carolina.

Food Justice

Work to ensure that all people have access to nutritious food by deconstructing social, racial and class inequities in food systems and land stewardship.

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About Us

We are students, educators, farmers, researchers, foresters, landscape designers, parents, sustainability leaders focused on community and ecosystem resilience.

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A student is smiling holding a head of broccoli standing in a field of corn.