Explore the St. Thomas Greenhouse - The Dr. Paul Germann Biological Sciences Greenhouse is in its 14th season nestled next to Owens Science Hall on St. Thomas’ south campus. The greenhouse is named after biology faculty member Paul Germann who taught at St. Thomas from the 1940s up until he retired in 1980. Germann started the original greenhouse on north campus and also is responsible for introducing all of the flower beds throughout the St. Paul campus. Today, the greenhouse is used for faculty research, student research, classes and labs.
Explore the panorama in full screen here
Snapshots (from left)
1. Along with security for the expensive equipment, the greenhouse has an alarm system that monitors extreme climate shifts. If the temperature or humidity fluctuates too far beyond the designated parameters, an alarm is triggered. An alert is sent to the Physical Plant Department, which then notifies Trost.
2. These dividers are more dynamic than a typical cubicle wall. The structures function both to manage different climate conditions for each room and to cycle fresh air. The central room works as a flume to suck in fresh air from outside.
3. The ceiling of the greenhouse is coated each spring with a special white paint, “to act like sunscreen in the summertime,” Trost said. The substance washes off during the winter from the cold and snow.
4. Sensors in each room like this one monitor specific moisture levels and adjust the humidity accordingly.
5. Yellow poinsettias called the central room home before they were used to decorate the St. Thomas Christmas concert and Father Dease’s Christmas party. The 75 plants were transported to more than six events during the holidays including the Dec. 18 commencement ceremony at the St. Paul Rivercentre.
6. High-pressure sodium lights are used to mimic natural lighting. The lights are controlled by the main computer system and are set to turn on at 4 p.m. each day to compensate for the minimal winter sunlight.
7. Steve Trost, Biology Department, is the greenhouse manager. He has been at St. Thomas for 30 years and has been managing the current greenhouse since it opened.
© 2010 University of St. Thomas
