As work continues on McKinley High School’s impressive renovations (seen here) on Elmwood, and the Olmsted Legacy Mural behind McKinley nears completion (see video), there is another project that is making waves on the high School campus. McKinley’s greenhouse is getting overhauled. As much as the facility has been operational in years past, it has suffered from deterioration, making it far from optimal when it comes to horticulture efficiency.
McKinley horticulture teacher Dan Robillard is optimistic regarding the changes that he is seeing at the greenhouse, thanks to the BPS Joint Schools Reconstruction project. “It’s an exciting time at McKinley
High School with the renovation and construction of a new greenhouse,” Dan told me. “As for the horticulture program, improvements
will help the plants environmentally.
State of the art ventilation, heating and watering systems are being updated, as well as shade cloths that can be drawn to cut the UV intensity, and a black out curtain
area for poinsettia production will also be added. Another key addition is a
true retail storefront for the students’ FFA program to conduct all of our
plant sales where the public’s support is always welcome. Also included is a turtle and
aquaponics lab for the Aquatic Ecology Department. Aquaponics is the science of combining hydroponics
with aquaculture and uses the waste products from fish to provide nutrients to
grow plants.”
McKinley Principal Crystal Boling-Barton has an incredible resource on her hands. Hopefully, with all of these horticulture improvements we will be seeing additional community engagement, not only with the plant sales, but also with grassroots interaction amongst community associations. Having an amenity like this in the city is a unique asset that we should all be supporting, especially with the advent of these new advancements.