The university has it ’s very own greenhouse , utilized by student enrolled in class such as Botany and Ethnobotany , site on the third trading floor of the Science Center .
Students gain first - hand experience observing flora , researching how they react in certain environments and producing plants that may be used in sealed courses for science lab .
Some scene of the greenhouse are controlled , so growth can occasionally continue during the colder months . plant in the greenhouse motley , some being used for research projects , others that have simply acquired over meter , and a few that are kept in there for preservation intention .
The nursery was build in 2003 , when the Science Center was completed . The late building declare oneself a greenhouse as well that was attached to an old part of the Science Center , but still serves as a place for plant to be grown , and then transplant onto flower bed on campus .
Henri Maurice , associate prof of Biology , has taught both Botany and Ethobotany , implement the greenhouse for his students to conduct research for the class .
“ When scholarly person go into the greenhouse they see a small multifariousness of plants and are fascinate by some of the specimens we maintain , ” Maurice say . “ Sometimes they can see a pineapple flora that is in reality flower or even grow a little Ananas comosus . Sometimes we may have a sensitive plant and when the leafage are touched they fold and overlook almost immediately upon contact . ”
The glasshouse offers a luck to conduct inquiry that can not be done in any other type of facility that most colleges offer . Students being able to plant seeds , see them sprout , and grow into plants and yield flowers or fruit is essential to the learning appendage .
“ you may not do that very well in a laboratory with fluorescent light fixtures , ” Maurice said . “ It postulate to be done in a greenhouse . ”
However , there are still downsides to this greenhouse .
“ Things demand to be organized better and we probably need to thin out the collection of sealed plant . There are thing we could in all probability upgrade , ” Maurice said . “ The location of the greenhouse is , however , a huge trouble . The concept of having a glasshouse on the cap of the building is interesting but greenhouses are not necessarily meticulously landscaped locations and we irrigate plants at least a few times a week which mean the floor gets pixilated .
Maurice say water seeps down through the floor into the ceiling of the room below as a outcome of the crocked floor , which can be problematic .
The greenhouse is mostly maintained by students who are attribute to conduct research up there and there are currently no plans to move the glasshouse to a different locating .
Source : University of Southern Indiana bookman publication
