Over the summer, Colonia High School built a greenhouse for the Ecology Club to grow vegetables and wetland plants . Ms. Chantal Greffer’s Ecology Club and Mr. James Danch’s Scientific Research Class take part in various activities that are beneficial to the curriculum as well as our community.
The greenhouse is becoming a beneficial experience for all students participating. The house structure itself was donated, while the funds to build it came from the township. Both the Ecology Club and Scientific Research students have been taking advantage of their easy access to a greenhouse right on Colonia High School grounds. From performing different experiments to growing vegetables to help our community, the greenhouse is a hit.
The Ecology Club has been actively involved in the greenhouse by planting a variety of vegetables and fruits, including tomatoes, lettuce, peppers and more. The Club has donated to the soup kitchen at the Trinity Church in Woodbridge. They also grow plants that are then transported to the Community Garden, which then are donated to the St. James Food Pantry in Woodbridge. So far, the Ecology club has donated 21 tomatoes, some lettuce, and other vegetables. Ms. Greffer, a Colonia High School teacher, and adviser of Ecology club, believes the greenhouse has been extremely beneficial, “The fact that we’ve been able to donate locally grown vegetables to a local soup kitchen is a great accomplishment.” Colonia High School has been great at making a lot of different groups in school have also been able to make use of the greenhouse, and since Colonia High School is big on community service, this is a great way to have students involved in community activities.
Mr. Danch’s Scientific Research students have been conducting a wide variety of experiments. The science teachers have been coming up with new ways to include the greenhouse at our school, Danch explains that, “Ms. Greffer, Ms. Wojcich and I are working on a supplemental curriculum for courses such as environment science and biology where students will utilize the greenhouse to perform activities related to the curricula of these courses.” The scientific research students have been using the greenhouse to conduct experiments such as stimulating different growth patterns in distinct conditions. The greenhouse provides a new category, botanical experiments, that the students can work on.
Students all over Colonia High School that are involved in activities related to the greenhouse have been enjoying it! Ms. Greffer and Mr. Danch both agreed that the greenhouse is definitely something exciting and innovative for students and staff all around. Not only do the students gain knowledge, but they have fun doing so. Students haven’t had the chance to plant and grow their own vegetables and fruits at home, so this is a new and great experience for them. The greenhouse has been an awesome addition to Colonia High School!
