This school year has been a great year for clubs. A multitude of clubs and organizations have been created, ranging from the Brothers for Others Club (which serves young people with Down syndrome) to the For the Love of the Lake Club (which promotes environmental awareness and responsibility). Out of all of these newly created clubs, however, some smaller clubs naturally tend to go overlooked, like the Horticultural Society.
The Horticultural Society, headed by biology teacher Ben Kirby, theology teacher Andrew Armstrong, and senior Nathan Ward, focuses on the art and science of horticulture, another word for gardening. In addition to gardening, the club has created a new greenhouse, a structure built for the cultivation of certain plants at certain temperatures, on the south side of the new concession stands.
According to Mr. Kirby, with the green house completed, the club is “now currently working on an extensive hydroponic system to grow crops and other plants.” The hydroponic system, a method of cultivating plants in a nutrient-rich solution rather than in soil, will be built by Nathan Ward and his father, both of whom have experience with building and maintaining hydroponic systems. Mr. Ward and the Horticultural Society now have a 100 gallon hydroponic system in place and they hope it will host a beautiful assortment of plants and flowers.
Not only do such structures house beautiful flora, but they also have environmental benefits. Chris
Steiner, the President of the Environmental Action Coalition, remarked that the greenhouses “take carbon dioxide out of the air and make a small but helpful dent in removing harmful gases from the atmosphere.” Furthermore, greenhouses can improve pest control and regulate temperature, humidity, and water distribution, all of which can promote good plant growth.
Earlier this year, the club began recruiting members to help build the greenhouse; with the help of new members, the greenhouse has gone up rather expeditiously. Mr. Kirby, who clearly shows a passion for the environment, hopes the club will “generate interest in horticulture that can also be an opportunity for service and become a model for other schools.”
Check out the video! http://youtu.be/9f7GqZEBvdA
Photographs provided by Mr. Kirby
