Strathmore High School Greenhouse hosts official grand opening

By John Watson Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Strathmore High School hosted the official grand opening for its community greenhouse project on June 24, for donors and the community to see how the project has come together over the last year.

According to Cole Hintz, who oversaw the project from concept to completion, the grand opening event was a massive success, attracting folks from all over the community to come visit the site. 

“We had a lot of help from students across the division. We had students from Strathmore High School, George Freeman, from Westmount, sharing some of the stuff that they have learned this year,” he said. “We had a lot of our donors, who were super essential for getting us to this point, they stopped by to check us out, and a lot of the community members who have been helpful on different projects throughout the year were there.”

He explained the school and the students are very excited to have gotten to this point in the process, and to be finishing many of the projects within the greenhouse so people can see exactly what the structure is capable of.

At about this time last year, Hintz added, construction of the overall structure was about completed. Prior to that, students were working to install a climate battery underground beneath the greenhouse.

This past year, the focus of the project has been on establishing the interior of the structure and creating a space that is functional both for students, as well as community groups wanting to engage in horticulture. 

“One of the coolest things about the space is, when you look at it, it looks like a really wonderful green space at a school, but then when you really think about the fact that every single thing here has been touched by a student at some point in its construction, it is pretty amazing,” said Hintz. “A lot of little projects by students led to the larger goal, which is this finished space, which will continue to develop over time.”

Now that the greenhouse is operational, Hintz explained efforts to connect with community groups will continue so that more and more people can be included in utilizing the space. 

He suggested community courses will be offered through Flowing Springs, and several projects are lined up to get started with the George Freeman School Eco Club, among other initiatives revolving around the facility.

An ongoing goal regarding the greenhouse is to develop the exterior of the site into a sustainable, native pollinator-friendly space.