LIMESTONE, Maine — The Maine School of Science and Mathematics will be moving forward in the new year with plans to replace an existing greenhouse with a new unit about three times the footprint of the existing greenhouse — that’s 1,200 square feet, large enough to fit an entire class.
The greenhouse project has been in the works for the past two years, spearheaded when the MSSM Foundation sought to upgrade the greenhouse to better serve the MSSM and Limestone community. According to MSSM Foundation President Lisa Smith, the new greenhouse will be much larger and more weather friendly.
“Right now, the greenhouse can only hold about four students at a time. A number of our windows have also been breaking because of the cold winters and poor design of the current greenhouse,” Smith said. “Our new greenhouse will be better designed for the northern Maine winters, as well as be able to hold an entire class for projects.”
Students in the engineering explorations class at MSSM last year created the designs for the new greenhouse and presented them to the various companies who were interested in donating to the project.
Judy Yau, a senior from Newport, has used the current greenhouse throughout her four years at MSSM. Yau’s research in the greenhouse has won her multiple awards and sees the new greenhouse to be very beneficial for future students.
“The new greenhouse would provide more resources and more opportunities for all students to explore research. The school would also be able to provide more students with the opportunity of independent projects,” Yau said. “It would allow students to think outside of the box and dive into different areas of study that they are interested in.”
Deb McGann is a chemistry instructor and has utilized the greenhouse frequently with her classes. She sees the upgraded facility as way to further expand her students’ research.
“Our goal is to develop skills in the research process. From experimental design to data analysis, raising produce in the greenhouse presents an opportunity to experience science first-hand. The expanded greenhouse with better environmental controls will allow us to answer more of the countless unanswered questions the novel and exciting field of hydroponics has to offer,” McGann said.
Over the past two years, both members of MSSM’s school board and foundation board have been working to raise the remaining funds to complete the greenhouse project by pledging to either raise or donate $1,250, with the foundation matching each member, or up to $40,000 in total. Vice Chair of the School Board Jason Judd and board members Walter Specht and Elizabeth Reuthe recently donated $1,250 each toward the project. The estimated cost for the greenhouse is about $148,400.
Around $110,000 has already been raised with about $38,000 still needed in order to meet the estimated cost. Smith is hoping that the remaining funds will be raised by April with construction starting shortly thereafter and completed by August of 2015.
For more information on the project, or to make a donation, visit www.mssm.org.
