By Celis Brisbin, Programs Manager
Fifty seven 8th graders at William H. Lincoln School in Brookline, MA took on the challenge of trying to grow food during the entire year here in New England!
Using this information they designed and built temporary greenhouses over their garden spaces which incorporated various insulators, cinder blocks and containers of water painted black to act as thermal masses to keep temperatures above freezing at night. They included different styles of compost methods within the greenhouses to capture the heat produced through that process.
The 8th graders created presentations posted at the entrance of the school for community education describing the different components of the greenhouse project and how all work together to create a sustainable environment for the plants.
With the greenhouses up and working, the lower grades were invited for garden tours. Nine classes of K-6th graders had the greenhouse workings explained and students were allowed to go in and visit the plants. Harvested plants will be shared with the lower grade classes.
Along the way the 8th graders also became involved with a local gardening organization, Bountiful Brookline. This organization organized a showing of the documentary on food waste called “Just Eat It” and held a panel discussion for the community as part of National Food Day in October.
Building a greenhouse allowed the students to create a working model of planet Earth. (Earth’s Greenhouse Effect, the moderating effects of ocean thermal masses on climate, water cycle.) The Climate Negotiations in Paris were that much more meaningful as the students found themselves dealing with an unexpected problem. The unusually warm weather we have been experiencing has put our plants at risk of being overheated rather than frozen as temperatures inside the greenhouses have reached over 130˚ F in December!