Left to right: Nathaniel Young, Serafina Margono, Jessica Kaplan, Claudia Barczy, Alfredo Esposito, Brian Sutton
Name: Jessica Kaplan
Year: Senior
Major: Environmental Humanities
Hometown: Enfield, CT
Name: Serafina Margono
Year: Junior
Major: Sustainability Studies and Biology
Hometown: Saratoga Springs, NY
Name: Brian Sutton
Year: Senior
Major: Environmental Humanities
Hometown: College Point, Queens
When was the Greenhouse and Gardening Guild founded?
Jessica: “We had a class in the Spring of 2015, Agroecology, and that’s when we all kind of got involved with the greenhouse, because the class was based out of here. And when that class ended we still had a lot of microgreens, tomato plants, stuff like that, and decided we wanted to keep it going so we made it into a club this past fall.”
Why is this an important club to have on campus?
Jessica: “For me, I guess it is really important for sustainability students, that we have a hands on opportunity to actually do something that one, we all really enjoy and two, is a learning experience.”
Serafina: “We can really take what we are learning in the classroom and apply it. So much what we learn today is not applied in class because you don’t have the the chance to apply it. And with the greenhouse you can learn how to implement all the factors like, how to grow, how to save seeds, composting. One of the biggest satisfaction is watching it from see to actual fruit or vegetable. It’s a process that takes a few months, but when you finally see that tomato, or whatever it is, you get so excited.”
How many members are there in this club?
Jessica: “It fluctuates. The three of us are always here, and we have people that come and go as the please. Anyone can come, even people who have no experience but want to learn.”
Serafina: “There are probably a solid 25.”
What events on campus do you have planned?
Serafina: “Probably a table at Earthstock, and people walking around, trying to get the club more known.”
What do you guys see for the club in the coming years?
Brian: “Ideally, it would be much more recognized, have a lot more student involvement. And it will extend further than just the greenhouse.”
Serafina: “Yeah, like possibly an outdoor garden area, bigger than the one we have right now.”
Jessica: “And it would also be great if we could extend into the resident halls. We just want to get more people excited about plants, and learning about where food comes from, and appreciating that. Because you have the opportunity here to grow something you can eat.”
You can find the Greenhouse and Gardening Guild in the Life Sciences greenhouse during Campus Lifetime!