In the spring of 2007, after completing a year-long arboretum master plan with Viridian Landscape Studio™️, George School made a change to its mission statement, vowing to preserve and enhance the campus in an environmentally responsible, educationally sound, and aesthetically pleasing way. Serving as an anchor for the south end of the campus, the Mollie Dodd Anderson Library is George School’s pilot project and puts into practice the three guiding principles of the Arboretum Master Plan - Stewardship, Site Improvement, & Education.  Viridian worked with the campus building committee to design the site as a sanctuary and native arboretum devoted to creating sustainable habitat & managing all onsite stormwater. 

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The Gold Level LEED Certified project celebrates the water cycle. The construction of six rain gardens makes possible the collection of all site and building runoff, allowing water to infiltrate and recharge groundwater supplies. In addition, it feeds a re-established intermittent waterway, helping to restore the larger ecosystem of the Neshaminy Valley. Using native plants and local materials, the site design promotes a diversity of habitats—wetlands, woodlands, and meadows—to reconnect students and faculty to the natural elements of the campus.