Las Vegas nonprofit Green Our Planet grows its impact with a new headquarters

By Gabriela Rodriguez

Nevada Weekly

Green Our Planet, the nonprofit that’s reshaping how kids learn about sustainability, agriculture, and STEM, has officially broken ground on a new headquarters in East Las Vegas. The new Compassionate Gardens HQ will become a key resource for local students, educators and families, offering not just a building, but a hands-on learning experience that could change lives.

Founded in 2013 by Ciara Byrne and Kim MacQuarrie, Green Our Planet has become a game-changer for local schools, bringing garden-based learning into classrooms and giving students the opportunity to get their hands dirty while learning about science, technology, engineering, mathematics (STEM) and sustainability. The organization now operates more than 800 active programs across 44 states and five countries, impacting more than 500,000 students worldwide. With the new headquarters, the organization is moving up a notch.

The project officially broke ground on June 5 with support from the Clark County School District and Clark County Commissioner Marilyn Kirkpatrick. The space will feature a hydroponics lab, teaching kitchen, community garden, outdoor classroom andmedia studio.

Annie Burns, senior director of media and marketing for Green Our Planet, says the goal is to provide students with more than just textbooks.

“There’s over 3,000 students living in poverty in East Las Vegas. If we can help the next generation of kids become scientists or farmers ... we want to give them the tools and inspiration to do so,” she says.

The hydroponics lab, a key feature of the new headquarters, will showcase six commercial hydroponics systems, a half-acre regenerative garden and a fruit orchard.

“They’ll learn biology, chemistry, data science, even engineering. ... It’s taking STEM learning out of a book and into their hands,” Burns says.

The media studio, supported by Green Our Planet Studios (a for-profit media production company also founded by Byrne and MacQuarrie) will allow students to create their own educational content.

Danielle Payne, a humanities educator and garden coordinator at Jones Blackhurst Elementary, says Green Our Planet’s programs have transformed the school’s culture. Blackhurst, like many schools, had never incorporated a garden-based curriculum before 2018, when they working with the nonprofit.

“[Green Our Planet] came in with volunteers and built out the whole garden. We also have pollinator gardens, and they helped us set up three raised beds and start an orchard.”

Payne noted how the garden has become an integral part of the school’s curriculum, with students growing everything from corn and kale to pomegranates and figs. The program has not only taught students about gardening, but it’s also sparked a shift in their attitudes toward responsibility and teamwork.

“They’re more open to trying different vegetables, and they’re not afraid to get their hands dirty,” she says.

The headquarters, slated to open in spring 2026, is a natural extension of Green Our Planet’s work with schools. The space is designed not only to serve as an educational tool, but also as a community center where students, families and educators can come together to sow the seeds for a more sustainable, curious and hands-on generation.