O'Dowd's Center for Environmental Studies, completed in 2014, is a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Platinum certified building. The campus also supports a four-acre "Living Lab" that has undergone ecological restoration annually since 2000 and received Bay Friendly certification and Wildlife Habitat certification. The Living Lab features four different local ecosystems, beehives, chickens and rabbits, edibles, and water catchment systems. It is used for field research, experiential learning, and spiritual meditation. Green Gloves, a 2015 partnership with the ReThink Disposable project, replaced disposable plates and bowls in the cafeteria with reusable baskets, reducing solid waste by 3,376 pounds per year. O'Dowd was recognized by the California Association of Private School Organizations as a California Green Ribbon Schools (CA-GRS) Gold School in 2015 and a Silver School in 2014.
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