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SUNY Potsdam breaks ground today for donor-funded greenhouse

Posted 10/2/15

The WISER Greenhouse at SUNY Potsdam is to be attached to Stowell Hall. The existing smaller greenhouse is shown to the right. POTSDAM –SUNY Potsdam breaks ground for a new greenhouse today for the …

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SUNY Potsdam breaks ground today for donor-funded greenhouse

Posted

The WISER Greenhouse at SUNY Potsdam is to be attached to Stowell Hall. The existing smaller greenhouse is shown to the right.

POTSDAM –SUNY Potsdam breaks ground for a new greenhouse today for the Wagner Institute for Sustainability and Ecological Research.

The groundbreaking ceremony is set for a ceremony at 4:15 p.m., Oct. 2, near the entrance to Stowell Hall on Barrington Drive, and everyone is welcome

The WISER Greenhouse will provide the campus with a research-grade facility with four growing zones, which will also serve as a focal point for initiatives to build a greener campus and community. The institute's mission is to support creative, science-based research into issues of sustainability and ecology, and to serve as a nucleus for the sustainability movement in the North Country.

The greenhouse is expected to be complete in April. Continental Construction of Gouverneur is the general contractor.

Along with the new greenhouse space, WISER will allow students to engage in classes and programs investigating issues of climate change, sustainable agriculture and biodiversity. To learn more, visit www.potsdam.edu/academics/AAS/biology/wiser.

People on campus today will find maroon tags affixed on everything from donated artwork and science equipment to classrooms and centers for the college’s first-ever Thank A Giver (TAG) Day, intended to highlight the importance to the campus of donations received during the school’s nearly 200-year history.

The greenhouse project’s lead donors, Robert Wagner, a 1975 graduate, and his wife Wendy, will be on hand for the ceremony. President Kristin G. Esterberg and Potsdam College Foundation President Lynne Boles will be joined by Glenn Johnson, chair of the biology department, as well as faculty member Rob Ewy and student Michal Weaver. Additional gifts in support of the greenhouse construction were received from Frederic Pratt and Jana Pratt. In addition, the Alcoa Foundation has awarded funding to support programs in the new facility.

For more information about Take the Lead: The Campaign for Potsdam, visit www.potsdam.edu/campaign.