CREATE A CLIMATE SMART HOME

Sustainability Spotlight

LOCAL LEADERSHIP FOR A GREENER GRANVILLE
Granville's Green Leaders

Go Green Granville is shining a light on the local businesses, residents, and organizations leading the way on local climate action and conservation. From initiatives to reduce food waste to planting pocket forests, these Sustainability Spotlight stories celebrate the creative people & initiatives that make Granville a healthier, more climate-resilient place to live, work, play, visit, and worship.

Go Green Granville electric vehicle panel discussion at the Granville Center for the Arts

LOCAL LEADERSHIP FOR THE CLIMATE CRISIS
Sustainability + Small Business

SUSTAINABILITY SPOTLIGHT
Three Tigers Diverts Brewing Byproduct from Landfill to Livestock

Breweries use large quantities of barley, oats and wheat in order to make their craft beers. But what happens to all of the spent grain byproducts of the brewing process? Thanks to an innovative partnership between Three Tigers Brewing Co. and local farmer Louie Catlett, more than 1,500 pounds of wet grain waste is diverted from the landfill each week and taken to Catlett’s farm outside of Granville where cattle eagerly eat the spent grains. This arrangement not only reduces waste and methane emissions from landfills, it also supports local agriculture and the circular economy. It’s a partnership that is not only good for the planet, it’s also good for both businesses’ bottom line.

LEARN MORE ABOUT REDUCING FOOD WASTE

YOUTH LEADERSHIP AND CARBON EMISSIONS
Sustainability + Student Projects

1500 TREES + GRANVILLE HIGH SCHOOL
Grad Grove honors recent graduates

The Grad Grove is a commemorative space that allows community members to donate a tree to be planted in honor of Granville High School students. The idea began as an AP Environmental Science class project and expanded with support from 1500 Trees, a faith-based nonprofit that helps plant trees in public spaces.

READ REPORTING PROJECT STORY

SUSTAINABILITY SPOTLIGHT
Digester reduces food waste in Granville schools

As part of a "Take Action" Project for Mr. Jim Reding's Environmental Science class at Granville High School, students Casey Laughbaum and Alli Messner planned, fundraised and implemented the installation of an aerobic digester to process food waste generated at the high school. The Aerobic digester quickly turns food waste into a nutrient-rich biomass, similar to compost. This technology helps to reduce greenhouse gases by keeping food waste out of landfills. It also helps to lower fuel and transportation costs associated with waste management.

LEARN MORE ABOUT REDUCING FOOD WASTE

DENISON ENVIRONMENTAL PRACTICUM
Licking County Green Infrastructure Report

Denison University students enrolled in the Environmental Practicum course researched and proposed a comprehensive green infrastructure plan for Licking County. The report covered five areas including: Agriculture, Terrestrial, Aquatic, Recreation, and Cultural.

The students worked with organizations like Licking Land Trust, Licking Park District, 1500 Trees, Pollinator Pathway, and the T.J. Evans Foundations to understand their challenges and propose solutions.

Licking County Green Infrastructure Report

Denison SES301 - Resilience-Report .pdf

SUSTAINABILITY & ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES
Community Resiliency Report

Developed by Denison University’s Spring 2025 Sustainability Practicum class, presents research and actionable recommendations for strengthening community resilience in the Granville. The project focuses on three key areas: solar energy implementation, floodplain management, and economic diversification. By analyzing Granville’s current codified ordinances, conducting interviews, and studying best practices, the students identified both challenges and opportunities for the village to become more sustainable, better prepared for natural disasters, and economically adaptive. The work aims to support Granville’s planners in building a thriving, future-ready community. See accompanying slide deck and related project on Risk Assessments in Granville below.

READ RESILIENCY REPORT

Final Presentation Pres w_ Green Formatting.pptx

#1 PPA 319 - Granville Risk Assessment.pdf

FOR A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE
Sustainability + Residents

Photos illustrating the King's woodland garden, soft landings & some of butterflies that have visited their garden.

WELSH HILLS ROAD RESIDENCE

Sustainable Landscaping

The King family’s landscape is a vibrant example of how thoughtful planting can support both beauty and biodiversity. Their yard features a small prairie garden, a shady woodland garden, and foundation plantings featuring native shrubs — all designed with ecology in mind. By “leaving the leaves” in fall to create soft landings under trees, they’ve created vital habitat for pollinators and overwintering insects. As a result, their garden hums with life, welcoming dozens of species of butterflies, bees, and other beneficial pollinators throughout the seasons.

Dark Earth Farm | Photo by Susan King

SMALL FARMS OF SOUTH GRANVILLE
Local Regenerative Agriculture

A group of Granville-area regenerative farms and modern homesteads is cultivating a community rooted in collaboration. This informal network of small-scale, sustainable growers includes Dark Earth Farm, Flat Root Farm, Everyday Acres, Mossycup Farm, and The Yard at Cherry Valley. Individually they grow vegetables and native grains and raise free range chicken and heritage goats. Collectively, they are committed to farming, gardening, and homesteading in ways that restore the land and promote environmental health. By pooling their knowledge and sharing tools, equipment and a passion for the planet, these farms illustrate that even the smallest farms can have an outsized impact on the environment and local food systems.