In Fall 2012, a group of students began a Group Interest House called the Tree House. According to the Tree House blog “the primary goal of our group, the Tree House, is to educate the Muhlenberg and Allentown community in how to be environmentally responsible.”
Located at 2216 Chew Street, the Tree House is denoted with a sign and is half of one of the doubles bookending the Community Garden. Some of the unique sustainability features of the Tree House include a solar hot water heater and a compost pile.
Emma Peretz ‘18, is one of four current resident of the Tree House. She expressed her view of what the Tree House stands for, sustainable living.
“Sustainable living in my mind is simple living, going back to the basics and being more conscious and aware of what we’re consuming, what we want,” Peretz said.
Quoting Disney’s the Jungle Book Peretz commented that overall sustainability is simply using “the bare necessities.”
Peretz explained that she focuses more on sustainability — which she described as a “life- style” — and less on simply being “healthy” which she thought of as an achievement. “This whole fad with being healthy, we see it outside of ourself but really it starts from the inside.”
This change in mentality came about after spending her summer in Hawaii with World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms. While there, she explained she gained an appre
ciation for local grown food and eating what is in season in the area, citing both as ways she helps to maintain a sustainable lifestyle.
“My groceries come from the garden or the farmer’s market,” Peretz said. She encourages students to take advantage of the Allentown Farmer’s Market as it helps local farms and businesses and provides fresh locally grown produce at reasonable prices.
As for the garden, Peretz is referring to the Muhlenberg Community Garden which she and her housemates, along with residents of the Garden House and Jungle House, care for regularly. In addition to a large, native herb garden in the Tree House’s backyard. Everything grown in the Community Garden is edible, including the marigolds, and harvested for use by the students as well as an alumnus who takes the produce to help feed Allentown residents.
Tips that Peretz gives for students who wish to be more environmentally friendly and sustainable in their daily lives include giving the people around you the utmost respect and kindness. As well as taking time to get back in touch with nature. The Tree House has a blog that offers other tips and accounts of the residents who have lived there in the past.
Students who are interested in living in the Tree House in the future are suggested to contact Kaylna Proyck, Muhlenberg’s Sustainability Coordinator, who is the Tree House adviser. Additionally, the Office of Residential Services requires students who would like to live in any of these Group Interest Houses to fill out special paperwork.
