Season of Creation Scavenger Hunt
The Season of Creation begins on September 1 and continues through October 4, the Feast Day of Saint Francis of Assisi, patron saint of animals and ecology. During this season, we are invited to renew our relationship with God, one another, and all Creation through prayer and action.
Guided by its Catholic mission, Notre Dame seeks to cultivate a community committed to service, stewardship, human dignity, and the common good. Caring for our Common Home is an important expression of that mission. It calls us to recognize Creation as a gift from God and use our knowledge, talents, and daily choices to help build a more just and sustainable world.
To celebrate the Season of Creation and Saint Francis’ legacy of stewardship, Notre Dame Sustainability is hosting a scavenger hunt featuring sustainable landmarks across campus.
How to Play ND Season of Creation Scavenger Hunt
Each week from September 1 through October 4, find that week’s riddle and submission form on this page, in TheWeek@ND, or on Notre Dame Sustainability’s Instagram, @sustainablend. Then, follow the clues to identify the sustainable campus landmark, and complete the form to earn as many points as you can.
All questions and photo submissions are optional, but photo submissions earn double points! The participant with the most points at the end of the Season of Creation will win a special prize.
Ready to explore campus and discover how Notre Dame answers our shared call to care for Creation? Start solving today!
Riddle 5
I begin with scraps left after you dine,
but a landfill is not the end of my line.
Ground into slurry and carried away,
I feed tiny workers that break me down each day.
Without any oxygen, they turn waste into fuel,
creating new energy through a process quite cool.
My leftovers help farmers enrich their soil, too—
what program gives food scraps something new to do?
Submission questions:
-
Which campus program is described in the riddle? (1 point)
- Grind2Energy
- Campus Recycling
- Geothermal
- Energy Conservation Measures Program
-
What happens to food scraps collected through this program? (1 point)
- They are ground into slurry and converted into biogas through anaerobic digestion.
- They are transported to a landfill and buried.
- They are burned directly to generate electricity.
- They are processed into new food products.
-
What is another useful product of this process? (1 point)
- Nutrient-rich material that can help fertilize farmland.
- Single-use plastic containers.
- Refined gasoline.
- Additional food waste.
- Upload a photo of yourself outside North Dining Hall or South Dining Hall. (2 points)
Riddle 4
A class from ’76 returned one June
and left a living gift designed to bloom.
Near candlelit prayers and a lake’s quiet shore,
bright wings and busy bees return for more.
Coneflowers and lobelia brighten the way,
giving local pollinators a place to stay.
Where St. Mary’s Road and Holy Cross meet,
what garden makes this corner so sweet?
Submission questions:
-
Which campus garden is described in the riddle? (1 point)
- Class of 1976 Butterfly Garden
- World Peace Plaza Garden
- Stinson-Remick Rain Garden
- Hayes Family Sculpture Park Garden
-
Why are the gardens on campus important? Hint: You may need to do a little research! (1 point)
- Many of them contain native plants, which support local pollinators and wildlife while often requiring less water and maintenance.
- They prevent all insects from entering the area.
- They can grow in any climate without water or care.
- They are primarily planted because they bloom year-round.
- Upload a photo of yourself at the garden identified in the riddle. (2 points)
Riddle 3
Above the courts where athletes compete,
I form a garden far from passing feet.
Nearly two acres make up my crown,
though few can see me from the ground.
Thirty-two thousand trays align,
where twenty-five plant species intertwine.
I cool the roof and capture rain,
sending less water toward the drain.
Among my kind statewide, I hold first place;
atop Joyce, what fills this unlikely space?
Submission questions:
-
Which campus sustainability feature is described in the riddle? (1 point)
- A vegetative green roof
- A rooftop solar-panel array
- An underground geothermal well field
- A rainwater-storage tank
-
Approximately how much surface area does this feature cover? (1 point)
- 6,890 square feet
- 28,900 square feet
- 68,900 square feet
- 58,900 square feet
-
Which is an additional benefit of this feature that is not mentioned in the riddle? (1 point) Hint: You may need to do a little research!
- It shields the underlying structure from ultraviolet radiation and temperature changes.
- It increases the building’s cooling demands.
- It accelerates the flow of water into storm drains.
- It intensifies the urban heat-island effect.
- Upload a photo of yourself outside the building associated with the feature described in the riddle. (2 points)
Riddle 2
I am called a plant, though I do not bloom;
three hundred feet below, I make my room.
My hidden loops reach deep beneath the ground,
where steady, year-round temps can be found.
In summer, I cool halls everywhere;
in winter, the southeast receives its share.
Near Joyce, I work beneath your feet—
what am I, where earth and campus meet?
Submission questions:
-
Which campus infrastructure is described in the riddle? (1 point)
- Southeast Campus Geothermal Plant
- East Plant
- Central Utilities Plant
- South Campus Geothermal Station
-
Which statement best explains how this infrastructure operates? (1 point)
- Water circulates through closed pipes and exchanges energy with the ground’s stable temperature.
- Naturally hot groundwater is pumped directly into campus buildings.
- Natural gas is burned underground to produce heating and cooling.
- Underground turbines generate electricity for each building.
- Upload a photo of yourself at the location identified in the riddle. (2 points)
Riddle 1
Silver and Gold came before me,
yet I am the first of my kind.
Of every hundred drops, I save forty-one,
and my lights surpass the state’s standard by fifty-six.
I catch the heat my laboratories release,
while the earth warms me from below.
I welcome daylight, native plants, and travelers on two wheels,
and share a name with the neighbor west of me.
What building am I?
Submission questions:
-
Which building is described in the riddle? (1 point)
- McCourtney East
- McCourtney Hall
- Stinson-Remick Hall
- Jordan Hall of Science
-
Which LEED certification level did this building achieve in spring 2026? (1 point)
- Silver
- Gold
- Platinum
-
What percentage of the project’s construction waste was diverted from the landfill? Hint: You may need to do a little research! (1 point)
- 41%
- 56%
- 81%
- 89%
- Upload a photo of yourself outside the building. (2 points)