All the cool kids have a virtual place to store their clips.

Originally published at MyBallard.

By Kelsie Mhoon    (November 1, 2011)
Luke McGuff had three simple rules for the volunteers at North Beach Park: “Be safe. Have fun. Get some work done.”

On Saturday morning, 11 volunteers came together to help clean up the 10-acre wooded ravine in Ballard, just across the street from North Park Elementary School, as part of an ongoing effort to renovate the park. Although it was marked as one of 30 protected areas in 1993’s Green Space Policy, little had been done to restore the ravine until members of the community, like McGuff, took initiative.

McGuff first took interest in the park when he and his wife moved to downtown Ballard three years ago. As a photographer, McGuff was intrigued by the pieces of metal junk strewn all over the park and peeking out of the snow, the bare trunks of the trees towering above them. As a lover of nature, he was less enthusiastic about the debris. McGuff contacted the Seattle Parks Department, and after much persistence, was allowed to organize a group of volunteers to begin work.

“Even before I contacted them,” McGuff said, “there had been a huge amount of interest in working on the park.” The monthly work parties started in April of this year and McGuff has been very appreciative of the active support from the community.

A tight-knit group of regular volunteers have committed to restoring the park. Selena Carsiotis, who has lived in the area for nearly 20 years, volunteers at several parks around the city and is particularly invested in the project at North Beach. The only major setback, she says, is the lack of involvement from the Parks Department itself.

“It’s great that so many people want to get involved to improve the natural settings,” she said, “but wouldn’t it make sense to teach them how?”

Still, even without paid professionals looking over their shoulders, the volunteers are passionate about improving this neighborhood oasis, one that’s already come such a long way from being an overgrown dumping ground.

Although the park may remain a mystery to some, the progress made by the work parties has not gone unnoticed. On Saturday, a group of women on a power walk sunnily offered their gratitude to the volunteers: “Looking good, guys!” “Nice work!”

Last weekend, the work party was primarily concerned with the removal of ivy, which makes the ground unstable and unsuitable for the survival of other plants. Volunteers pulled up the plant from along the trails and creek beds, and dumped piles of still-steaming mulch to fertilize the soil, reduce erosion and help ward off the resurgence of weeds in cleared areas.

Others worked to free trees, some of which could be over 300 years old, from the ivy coiling up their trunks like snakes. To do this, the roots of the ivy must be dug out and the stems dangling down cut through at the base of the tree, effectively killing the plant. When the ivy is cut away, the bark of the great maple trees is finally visible again. These new bald spots are called “survival rings” (shown above.)

While removing undesirable plants may seem as straightforward an objective as any, the volunteers still have challenges to face. Sometimes, it can be tricky knowing just how much to clean up. Luckily, most of the larger items that had been thrown into the ravine years have already been removed, such box cars, play houses and washing machines.

On Saturday, a car tire, an office chair, and a vast variety of cans and bottles were carried away from the depths of the park.

“This just makes you want to stop using plastic,” Carsiotis said as she pulled a warped milk container from the mud.

Other household and industrial items, however, seem to have become permanent fixtures of the ravine. Huge metal barrels lie half-buried in the soil, their sides now home to a variety of moss and fungi.

“It’s better to let some stuff lie in there,” McGuff said, explaining that trying to dig out every last piece of garbage can potentially do more harm than good, particularly when considering the dangers of erosion. This is one thing volunteers must be mindful of at all times.

“Social trails,” or trails made simply by walking, are partially to blame for soil weakening and some slopes becoming unstable. To ward off the danger of landslides, the group is doing its best to minimize the use of these trails and eventually install pathways, properly planned out and built on sturdy land. Also key for ground control, McGuff said, is continuing to weed out invasive plants and growing a diverse array of native plants and trees in their place.

If the park was left alone, McGuff said, “in 50 years, there’d be nothing here but ivy, blackberry, and bindweed.” The landscape of the ravine would change dramatically, becoming much wider and shallower from the resulting erosion. Such a change would put the homes and streets on the perimeter of the park in danger of destruction.

“Nature and cities are really united, much more than we think they are,” McGuff said. “There’s no part of nature we aren’t influencing and no part of the city that is untouched by it,” which is why he considers it a responsibility for communities to take care of these urban forests.

Calling the ravine an “urban forest” is certainly appropriate. Once you’ve walked far enough down the path to lose sight of the road, you get the impression you’re out in the wilderness, out of the reach of bright lights and 45-minute commutes.

“It’s entrancing,” McGuff said with a smile. “Kids in the schoolyard can be yelling their heads off and 100 feet down the trail, you’d just hear the birds and the creek.”

The overall feeling of the place, from the cool, damp air to the smell of pine and soil, has a calming effect. Although much work remains to be done, the sense of peace is one that the volunteers enjoy and will continue to strive tirelessly to maintain. Not just for themselves, but for the community and those kids in the schoolyard across the street.

The final work party of the year is scheduled for November 26 from 9 a.m. to noon. Anyone interested in volunteering (or learning more about North Beach Park) can contact Luke at lukemcguff@yahoo.com.

By Kelsie Mhoon    (December 9, 2011)
  

The bell rings at 9:30 a.m. at Cleveland High School and students in Melissa Kagele’s pre-calculus class drop one by one into their seats, still bleary-eyed. After gathering in small groups, they all reach for their “warm-up” worksheets.

“Oh, it’s a health day!” one of the students exclaims, taking a look at the lesson plan. The mood lightens and suddenly the bane of every math student’s existence, the story-problem, doesn’t seem so bad. Today, they’re learning about tuberculosis.

What’s going on here?

In an effort to get kids more interested in the fields of health and science, the Washington Global Health Alliance (WGHA) devised a plan three years ago to spice up high school education.

“How am I going to use this?” is the common question asked by disillusioned students, Kagele explained, especially when it comes to math. Dubbed the “Ambassadors Program,” this curriculum helps provide an answer. While students are learning about tuberculosis, malaria, cholera, and influenza, they’re also seeing a way to apply the formulas being taught in their math, chemistry and history textbooks to a real life setting.

“Sometimes, that’s the push these kids need,” Kagele said.

The curriculum was originally developed by teachers hand-selected for their creativity and energy by the principals at the program’s pilot schools: Cleveland, Blaine, Toppenish, and Health Sciences and Human Services. Meeting both state and WGHA standards, the specialized curriculum compliments typical lesson plans for US and World History, Chemistry and Biology, and Algebra I to Pre-Calculus classes. Kagele uses one of these lessons every two weeks.

Program Officer Nona Clifton said that originally, the idea for the project came about from a simple question: How can we get more real world concerns and worldwide concerns into the classroom?

“Kids today are global, period. You can’t not know what’s going on in the world,” she said.

Clifton said the program was also developed as a response to educators’ sense of urgency to get more kids, especially those in underrepresented communities, on their way to entering the health and science industry.

“Seattle is moving into the forefront of global health,” she said. “There is the perfect opportunity for local kids to get in on this.”

Many of these students are just starting to realize that these opportunities exist and Kagele is committed to helping the students of Cleveland High School achieve their goals.

“A lot of students are just hungry to understand what’s out there career-wise,” Kagele said. On the walls of her classroom are colorful “career maps” laying out what degrees are needed for jobs pertaining to global health, as well as expected salaries. Even just looking at these posters can be an incredibly helpful tool for students, especially for those who may not have much guidance outside of school.

“It’s giving them new avenues to explore” Kagele said. While admitting that the lessons can be challenging, they expand students’ knowledge of the world and help them think beyond high school.

Champagne, now a senior at Cleveland High School, said that she enjoys these lessons because she can apply math to a real world setting. “I want to do something in the medical field for sure,” she said, “and I think this gives me an advantage over other students.”

“I like it,” her fellow student Mohamed said. “I had no idea about any of these diseases, it’s crazy,” he said, motioning to the worksheets in front of him. “It’s definitely more interesting than regular lessons.”

These students agreed that pre-calculus has become easier to manage when they have a way to apply the formulas to the real world and Kagele has seen her students’ participation and overall grades improve. WGHA’s official assessment of the program supports these experiences.

Clifton said that overall, they’re pleased with the results they’ve seen with the students who have gone through the program and graduated. Even for those who have just taken one specialized class, Clifton and her colleagues have recorded a “statistically significant difference” in the students’ pre-program and post-program test scores although the report of the learning gains has yet to be finalized.

Now, with numbers supporting the progress Clifton had hoped for, the decision of the University of Washington’s MESA program to adopt and distribute this curriculum has proven to be well founded. MESA, which strives to help students from underrepresented groups achieve their full potential in mathematics, engineering, and science through innovative lesson plans and hands-on experiences, is currently working to circulate the lesson plans through more than 80 schools statewide.

Although adapting the curriculum for a wider use is a painstakingly careful process, the lessons are set to be distributed as early as this current school year. Clifton expects that the results will continue to be promising.

Kagele agrees. Her students are embracing this curriculum even though looking through the statistics on global diseases can be “heavy and depressing” at times.

“But this is the real world,” she said. “This is the important stuff that mathematicians are working with.” Noticing a significant jump in students’ interest during these lessons, she hopes it inspires them to move forward with their education and stay informed about global health. An expanded perspective of the world around them, she said, will be a valuable tool for their future.

By Kelsie Mhoon    (December 10, 2011)
 

“I’ll take the grilled chicken,” the woman tells her server, looking the menu over though the glasses perched on her nose. Her fingers tap the rim of her tall mug, its dark green color a stark contrast to the monochromatic table settings. She considers her options. “And a large order of broccoli and a green salad.”

Her tablemates shake their heads with knowing smiles. “There goes Virginia with her greens,” one of them laughs.

Virginia Nielsen and her fellow diners are residents of the Cristwood Park retirement community in Shoreline. By her own standards, Nielsen is extremely health conscious, paying close attention to what she eats and how much she eats, ensuring that she gets enough essential nutrients each day. She would hesitate to say the same of her neighbors, observing quietly when the man to her left begins vigorously pouring salt into his clam chowder.

Though all of the food served in Cristwood’s dining room is healthier than what you would find at a typical restaurant, many of the residents aren’t making the best choices for their health. It’s not just exclusive to seniors living in pampered retirement centers: this problem is prevalent nationwide.

Nearly 70 percent of seniors have poor nutrition habits, according to the National Center for Health Statistics. Going by the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) standards, less than one-third of people over the age of 65 are consuming enough fruits, vegetables, or foods rich in calcium and iron. What’s more, seniors are frequently overindulging in foods with an abundance of salt and sugar, which the USDA insists should be heavily regulated.

While there are more-pressing health concerns that seniors have to take into account, whether it be diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or obesity, it’s still important for them to follow basic nutrition tips that are applicable to everyone in their age group.

In an effort to help keeping a healthy diet manageable for seniors, the food service staff of retirement homes and assisted living facilities have stepped up their game in recent years, committed to making healthier, more flavorful, and cost-effective meals. Cristwood Park is determined to take the lead in this regard, if their recent remodel of the dining room, now complete with fireplaces and ambient lighting, is anything to go by. The quality of the food, however, is still the priority.

“We try our best to keep everyone happy,” Brent McDaniel, the manager at Cristwood Park Dining said.  The kitchen staff, he explained, is expected to strike a balance between the kinds of food residents want and the kinds of food that are healthy for them.

Apart from the two special entrees that are offered each night with various starch and vegetable side dishes, McDaniel has made sure to have items like grilled chicken, baked potatoes, gluten-free pasta, and omelets available at all times to accommodate any resident with a more restrictive diet.

With the numerous resources available and the painstaking efforts of the kitchen staff to make healthy eating easier, why aren’t more seniors themselves focused on nutrition?

For most, it’s a struggle having to choose between what’s good for their health and the food preferences they’ve had their entire lives. According to the National Institute on Aging, seniors may also be put off by the time it takes to plan meals. Others have lost interest in eating full meals altogether.

“A lot of these people don’t want to deal with nutrition,” local nutritionist Sally Pechstein said. “They see it as an unnecessary stress.”

For seven years, Pechstein worked at Harborview Medical Center as a nutrition specialist for seniors. Based on her experiences, she said that it usually “took something big” like an illness or hospitalization to get elderly patients to realize just how seriously they need to make changes to their diets.

“There’s definitely this sense of ‘If they can eat that, why can’t I?’ But everyone has different reactions to food,” she said. Though currently managing her own practice, which focuses on naturopathic counseling, she still tries to get older people to understand that common things like heartburn and indigestion aren’t unavoidable signs of age.

“It simply means that something you ate isn’t right for your body,” she said, “and a lot of times, it’s an easy fix.”

Nielsen too has said that she attempts to convince some of her fellow residents to be more mindful of their diets and to cut out the foods that have a negative effect on them. Most of them, she said, are too set in their ways.

“I don’t understand why people willingly endure heartburn or indigestion,” Nielsen said.

Before she started her current diet, a fairly strict regimen found in the book “Eat Right For Your Type” by Dr. Peter J. D’Adamo, those were problems she frequently experienced. And now?

“I’ve been following this diet for 10 years and I feel great,” Nielsen said. “I’m not sure of the science behind it, but it’s working for me.”

In the book, D’Adamo provides lists for the kinds of foods people should be eating plenty of and those they should avoid completely, all based on a person’s blood type. Nielsen, an A-positive blood type, has stopped eating beef, wheat, potatoes, tomatoes, and many other foods in keeping with the diet’s recommendations.

Despite facing items on the daily menu that she’s not allowed, Nielsen said that getting a healthy meal in the dining room isn’t something she or the residents need to fret over because of the careful planning that goes on in the kitchen.

“Here, we’re doing the work for them,” Margie Beavers said. As the assistant manager of the dining room at Cristwood Park, she’s always looking for ways to revamp the menu. Offering more fresh foods and cutting back on the processed foods is something she feels strongly about.
Referring to MyPlate, the USDA’s new Food Guideline System, she explained that fruits and vegetables should make up half of a senior’s diet.

“My mother always told me to eat a yellow and a green. If you have squash, balance it out with kale or spinach,” Beavers said. “The darker the green, the better.”

To this day, at 67, she still abides by these words and applies them to her work, where she ensures that steamed greens of some kind will be on the menu each day. Turns out, this motherly advice is similar to what any physician or nutrition book will tell you.

One such book is the Purity Research Department’s “The Best Kept Secrets to Healthy Aging,” which stresses the importance of consuming plenty of fruits and vegetables. In plain terms, the nutrients found in these foods “support the healthy aging of every organ in the body and help them maintain their functionality.”

“If you’re going to look, feel and act healthy and full of life,” the guide reads, “you’re going to need your cells to radiate youthfulness.”

But feeling healthy isn’t just about what you eat. It’s also about what you don’t eat. For seniors, sodium is one thing that experts agree should be avoided because it aggravates high blood pressure conditions, affecting over 60 percent of the senior population.

“We try our best to use less salt,” Beavers said. Apart from monitoring how much salt the cooks use to prepare the food, she and McDaniel try to use primarily fresh or frozen foods.

“Do you have any idea how many additives are in canned food?” Beavers asked, wide-eyed and shuffling through a stack of menus on her desk. The amount of sodium in a can of green beans, she said, is staggering; “I had no idea and now I don’t even eat them at home!”

Apart from cutting down on the use of canned or prepared foods, monitoring the amount of salt the cooks use is the easiest thing the managers can do to make any meal more healthful. Anything that caters to residents who have high blood pressure or heart disease is a priority and it’s something Beavers has personal experience with.

“After my husband had a heart attack, we cut out all the oil, salt and fats at home and started eating more greens,” Beavers said.  “Now he’s feeling better than he has in a long time.”

That experience has compelled her to make more detail-oriented choices as a manager, including her decision to ask the cooks to leave salt out of their daily soups. Beavers encourages the residents to leave feedback for the managers and she said that without fail, there will be at least one comment each week that the soup “needs more salt.”

“You can’t win,” Beavers said with a shrug.

 “There’s salt and pepper on every table, so who cares?” Nielsen said, surprised by news of the complaints. “We shouldn’t be eating salt at our age anyway.”

Nielsen, 84, has gone without adding salt, sugar, and a variety of other additives to her food for years. She doesn’t miss them.

“Your body becomes used to the change after a while, but I think most people are too stubborn to give it a try,” she said.

    This is especially true with sugar. Contrary to popular belief, the consumption of sugar is not just an issue pertaining to those with diabetes, which the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services estimates to affect nearly 27 percent of seniors. According to Dr. Nina Marinello, Chairwoman of Nutrition Science at The Sage Colleges in New York, every elderly individual should take care to only eat foods with added sugar in “moderation.”

“With age, muscle mass decreases. This results in a lower metabolic rate making weight gain easier,” she said, explaining that something as simple as regulating sugar intake is a good way to curb this effect of aging.

Nielsen, who has been struggling with her weight for years, is aware of these facts and tries to avoid sugar and dairy products wherever she can- except when frozen desserts are involved.

“I eat healthy all the time! I figure if I fudge now and then, it might as well be with ice cream,” she laughed. “I’m sure it’s not hurting any.”

Many other seniors share this same attitude and often, they overindulge in the sweet stuff. Although seniors typically have less than half the amount of functional taste buds they had at the age of 30, those that register sweetness may still work properly for years. According to HelpGuide.org, this explains why many elderly people get far more enjoyment from sweet foods than any others. Though they still want to cater to a resident’s sweet tooth, more and more senior living facilities are starting to enact portion control when serving desserts. Residents, however, will often compensate by ordering a large portion of ice cream.

In turn, the kitchen staff at Cristwood Park currently offer sugar-free dessert options for those with diabetes and anyone taking the step to cut back on sugar. Unfortunately, the cakes and pies haven’t been hot sellers among the residents. Beavers says that very likely, they’ll do away with the specialty items and have prepackaged sugar-free cookies and ice creams on hand instead. Otherwise, the adage “eat less and more slowly” would be the only thing the residents have to work with.

Of course, good nutrition isn’t limited to consuming more whole foods or decreasing the use of additives. Staying hydrated is also a major concern for seniors. Drinking enough water helps maintain good kidney function and aids the digestion process, both of which decline with age. At Cristwood Park, servers are instructed to keep the water pitchers on each table full, an encouraging reminder for residents to stay hydrated.

Some residents, however, aren’t interested in such reminders.

Evelyne Coonrod has no major health concerns, even at 84 years of age, and makes a point of exercising regularly. She eats a good deal of fruits, vegetables and lean proteins. This is how she’s lived for the past few decades and she’s never felt compelled to modify her diet in any way. So what’s her doctor’s only recommendation for her? Drink water.

“But I don’t like water,” she said, waving off one of the servers who attempted to fill her tall drinking glass. The remnants of her French accent roll off every word as she asks for a carafe of decaf coffee instead, before overturning her empty water glass to make a point. “No need to waste it on me.”

It’s been well documented that many senior citizens have a lowered sense of thirst and general disinterest in drinking clear fluids. But why? In 2009, researchers at Australia’s Howard Florey Institute discovered that the brains of elderly people underestimate the amount of water needed to quench their thirst. This, as well as a general disinterest in drinking clear fluids, is what puts many seniors at risk for dehydration, which in turn can complicate existing health conditions and result in severe illness. For those who need help tracking their water intake, most experts recommend carrying around a water bottle or taking two sips for each bite of food.

“We can’t make them drink water,” Beavers said, sighing as she picked up a few untouched pitchers at the end of the dinner service. “All we can do is help them understand why it’s important.”

Although coffee is considered a “safe food” by the folks over at MyPlate, low-sugar juices and teas are better alternatives for those who don’t want to drink straight water. Green tea, championed by both the USDA and every health magazine on grocery store shelves for its antioxidant properties, is becoming the most popular substitute for coffee at Cristwood Park. Recently, the kitchen has had to order more boxes of Stash brand tea to keep up with demand.

“Advice gets spread like gossip around here. One person will try something then everyone else is scrambling to jump on board,” Beavers explained. “But this is a good trend! Everyone should be drinking green tea.”

Nielsen, though more of a coffee drinker, said that she’s pleased to hear of these changes, not just in her fellow diners’ increasingly good habits, but in the way the kitchen is helping promote them.

“I think people have this attitude of ‘oh, I’m getting old, this is probably the best I’m going to feel,’” Nielsen said, arranging her sliced grilled chicken neatly on her salad plate. “But the point is, you don’t have to feel that way.”

By Kelsie Mhoon    (December 8, 2011)

The University of Washington prides itself on weaving its way onto various “best of” lists when it comes to the most beautiful college campuses in the US. Without fail, the imposing Red Square and the breathtaking spring scenes from the quad are mentioned, as well as the otherworldly reading room at Suzzallo library. But the beauty of the Botany Greenhouse, along Stevens Way in South Campus, is the most understated and fascinating the university has to offer.

After all, it’s what’s on the inside that really matters. Although biology majors are more than aware of the strikingly diverse plant life within, staff and volunteers alike are leading projects to make the greenhouse less of a hidden gem and more of an “interactive gallery” to all students and visitors at the university.

Doug Ewing, the Botany Greenhouse manager, has a deep appreciation for the work that goes on in the greenhouse. And it’s come a long way since he began work in the biology department. Before he put on the overalls and gloves, the greenhouse had been primarily used for storage. He’s helped make the greenhouse the oasis it is today and wants to show the place off to all the students on campus, regardless of what they’re studying.

Although the greenhouse always allows visitors, Ewing thinks that not enough professors are aware of the learning opportunities available to their students. Why watch PBS videos or look at online slideshows when you have the opportunity to see, feel, and smell the object of the lesson when it’s a mere five minutes away?

“Every plant has a story,” Ewing said, and the greenhouse is an anthology. Within its walls are an enormous variety of exotic and domestic plants, everything from berries that make lemons taste like candy and orchids that are smarter than the average fly, to a plant whose seeds produce both an everyday cooking oil and a poison infamous for its use in assassination plots. Yet any visitor would be unaware unless they specifically asked a staff member for information.

Making the back-story for each plant, such as its history, common uses, or even its ties to literature, more accessible is a top priority for Ewing.

“People are receptive to more information if they have a place to hang it,” Ewing said.

As of right now, Ewing said, guests aren’t aware of they have to offer. When they walk down the aisles, all they learn is the scientific name and perhaps the best angle at which to take a glamour shot of the plant. Though this is the traditional set up for a greenhouse, Ewing said that not providing the interesting facts, as any museum would, is a missed opportunity.

These plants are just as fascinating as any sculpture and offering different kinds of interactive tours would make that more apparent.

The most recent project caters directly to the elementary school classes that visit the greenhouse each year. For many of these kids, this field trip is the only one they get during the entire school year, which is why Ewing and others are committed to making the experience as entertaining and educational as possible.

“The more fun we can make it, the more hands-on, the better,” Ewing said, pulling a large green pod from the vines cascading down the sides of the greenhouse and opening it up to reveal purple beans inside. “It’s things like this that kids get a kick out of.”

If any of these kids becomes interested in the natural sciences as a result, then the tour has “certainly done its job,” Ewing said. The greenhouse hosted nearly 3,500 children last year and Ewing expects that number to rise in the next few years. This influx of guests is something that current UW students have taken notice of.

Aside from her volunteer work as a docent, Patty Montano has been involved in projects at the greenhouse since 2007. With two degrees in biology already under her belt, her passion for botany and a solid background in the arts led her to pursue a degree in Museology, which she plans to complete next year.

“It allows me to be more creative with science, and to think about visual presentation and personal experience,” she wrote in an email.

Inspired to take what she’s learning and apply it to the greenhouse, Montano has made web presentations aimed at younger visitors to engage them and promote discussion, which would be a valuable learning tool for teachers. These online materials are set to be implemented by the start of winter quarter.

“I really love the greenhouse. The people are great, but the service to the community is what stole my heart,” Montano wrote. “It is always a wonderful experience for visitors and I wanted to add to that.”

As a docent, Montano conducts tours in both Spanish and English and has created bilingual displays for certain plants, listing factoids and notable information. She has also dabbled in scripting several podcasts for the greenhouse’s biggest project in development: the audio tour.

The tour, very much like what can be found at the Seattle Art Museum or EMP, would be available on a handheld device and feature brief recordings telling the story of each major plant. Having docents on site would no longer be necessary and the listener could explore the greenhouse and shuffle through the podcasts at his or her own leisure.

“The goal is to have a library of pieces” Ewing said. Several undergraduate students have been plugging away at the project for a few months, but it’s been a very slow process. Several podcasts have been recorded for this feature, including one penned by Montano, “Chocolate: Our Ancient Love,” but the editing process has been taking longer than expected.

“This is entirely volunteer-driven,” Ewing said, “so it’s understandable. People have a lot of other commitments, so it’s great to get this kind of interest at all.”

Though Montano appreciates the efforts of her fellow volunteers, she still has some worries about the future of these projects. “When I graduate and leave, there might be no one else interested in creating podcasts, videos, signage, and other educational resources,” she said.

Still, there are other part-time staffers at the greenhouse interested in continuing similar work. Jeanette Milne, of the Department of Biology, has worked there for 20 years and is interested in “enriching” the tour experience, primarily through more interactive and informative displays.

The simplest, and easiest to implement, of the ideas they’ve explored is to feature certain plants each week in all sections of the greenhouse.

“I think it would encourage people to stop in more frequently,” Ewing said, “which is something we always welcome.”