New additions for the Nature Preserve
The Nature Preserve’s newly installed greenhouses will cater to the growth of California native plants and students of the endangered Bio-7 course.
The Los Medanos College Nature Preserve just finished installing two new greenhouses, which will use fresh water for irrigation.
The addition of these greenhouses will also save some biology classes at LMC.
The plants that will be going into the greenhouses will be California native plants, and each greenhouse will serve its own purpose.
One will be for growing plants, and another one will be for the propagation of plants, which is seeding and rooting from a stem, according to Mark Asher, instructional assistant for the biology department.
The project was made possible because of a grant that was written to DOW Chemical for $4,800. The cost of the greenhouse was 2,000 and the cost to bring freshwater to irrigate the greenhouse will cost another $4,500 according to Asher.
“They were going to phase out the Bio-7 classes, hose are the environmental biology ones, so if we don’t have this kind of stuff I can’t teach those classes and I can’t prep for those laboratory assignments that they have, and I’m expected to teach them this stuff. If it’s not in real life, it’s not an action, it’s really hard for me to teach you something you can’t see,” said Asher
People within the Biology department are looking forward to helping students further their learning. Michael Rovere, instructional assistant for the biology department, likes the fact that students can be more incorporated and the different kind of material they can learn.
“They’ll be able to learn about cell structures, soil science, and plant roots,” said Rovere.
The LMC Nature Preserve is open to students and showing support is encouraged.
“Just respect as you would any kind of nature preserve… it’s not a horticultural department, but it is the closest thing we can get to that. Anyone can come down and ask me questions, do your homework and things like that, just show support to the nature preserve, we’re a reflection of LMC and the people that donate to us,” said Asher.
Rovere is very grateful for all the help that was put into the greenhouses.
“We could not have done it without the help of the staff, faculty and students,” said Rovere.
