Northport High School Greenhouse Ready For 2019-20 School Year

NORTHPORT, NY–Northport High School's greenhouse is officially up and running, ready to be showcased for the 2019-20 school year.

It includes automated ridge ventilation, gas heating and humidification, and three-stage evaporative cooling to support 600 square feet of indoor growing space.

According to David Storch, district chairperson of science, technology & engineering education, the project allows students to partake in scientific investigations related to biology.

"With hands-on opportunities to learn about topics like matter and energy in organisms and ecosystems, stability and biodiversity, and interdependent relationships in ecosystems, students gain a deeper understanding of natural systems and can actively care for them," Storch said via press release.

The greenhouse was designed and constructed last summer as part of the district’s bond referendum. Construction was finished this winter. This past spring saw the successful pilot of a botanical research and life science lab.

Experimentation and research were common sights during the greenhouse's first few months of use. Students observed and tested nitrogen run-off, learned "square foot gardening" techniques, and grew geraniums from seed to bloom. In fact, students who participated couldn't get enough of the experience, according to Greenhouse Coordinator Janet Byler.

"Having this greenhouse not only shows that we value giving our students first-hand experience, but that we, as a community, value our local environment and want focus on solving real world problems and phenomena," she said.

Teachers from the high school science department intend to integrate use of the greenhouse into the curriculum from now on.

"We hope for it to become a focal point where kids can gather and see science in action, and not just from a textbook," Byler said.