Akron youngsters turn green-fingered
Teens participating in a summer camp at F.A. Sieberling Nature Realm in Akron found themselves building a greenhouse last month—out of plastic soda bottles.
The students were attending the camp as part of Metro Parks' Camp Connect program. They had been told about the greenhouse project, but at least one thought she would be making a small terrarium, not an 8x10 foot full-size building. The new greenhouse will enable the parks to grow plants when the weather turns cold.
Nine teenagers took part in the building project, which used empty two-liter soda bottles as the basic construction material. Volunteers stripped off the labels and cut the bases off the clear plastic bottles, which had been donated by residents to help the effort. The bottles were stacked to form the walls, and held in place by plastic-coated wire. The stacking allows for air space which insulates the building, and the plastic allows sunlight into the structure.
The idea for the pop-bottle greenhouse came from Blue Rock Station, which is a nature center near Zanesville. Metro Parks will create a display next year at the Nature Realm, giving visitors ideas for ways to improve their yards and respect the environment at the same time. The greenhouse will be part of the display.
Nature Realm could work with brochure printers to create hand-outs for the center, explaining their programs and highlighting the greenhouse project.
The students were attending the camp as part of Metro Parks' Camp Connect program. They had been told about the greenhouse project, but at least one thought she would be making a small terrarium, not an 8x10 foot full-size building. The new greenhouse will enable the parks to grow plants when the weather turns cold.
Nine teenagers took part in the building project, which used empty two-liter soda bottles as the basic construction material. Volunteers stripped off the labels and cut the bases off the clear plastic bottles, which had been donated by residents to help the effort. The bottles were stacked to form the walls, and held in place by plastic-coated wire. The stacking allows for air space which insulates the building, and the plastic allows sunlight into the structure.
The idea for the pop-bottle greenhouse came from Blue Rock Station, which is a nature center near Zanesville. Metro Parks will create a display next year at the Nature Realm, giving visitors ideas for ways to improve their yards and respect the environment at the same time. The greenhouse will be part of the display.
Nature Realm could work with brochure printers to create hand-outs for the center, explaining their programs and highlighting the greenhouse project.