Photo by Chris Heerman’18

As fall began to take over our campus, Academy students saw a new development arise just north of the Dining Hall’s outdoor patio.

A greenhouse with a green exoskeleton, glass windowpanes, and a brick base rose from the ground in a matter of days.

As soon as you walk in, the glass helps to warm the inside of the greenhouse. Tables line both sides of the structure, and hooks hang from the ceiling. Shades adorn the walls to adjust the amount of light that is optimal for certain plants. The greenhouse is bare at present, but there many opportunities await us to enliven this inspiring space.

Susan Peck’14 donated the Victorian-style greenhouse to encourage education for environmental sustainability around our school. Her Academy education had a big impact on her, and she wanted give back to the school in a meaningful way.

When the snow melts and spring rolls around, Academy students have a space to practice their plant growing and to meet with their friends. The greenhouse can become a thriving community garden, for the building is a place where students and staff can appreciate the beauty of plants or relax with a good book.

Geraniums, petunias, and vegetables thrive in the comfort and warmth of a greenhouse, and herbs can be grown and used to garnish our lunches. Food grown right outside of the dining hall would be fresh and sustainable.

The past couple years have seen enormous changes on our campus. From a new arts building to updated language halls, Academy is always evolving. Similar to other additions to our school, the greenhouse’s donor wants the structure to have a big impact on the students at the Columbus Academy.