Despite the winter temperatures, CSI officially put spring into the spring semester with a Greenhouse Learning Lab event for students, last week on Thursday, during Club Hours. Students packed into CSI’s Greenhouse, located in Building 6S, Room 336, to learn about the process of potting and seeding plants in anticipation of the spring.

Sustainability Director Nora Santiago and her staff guided students through the process of selecting the correct pots and soil for their particular herb or plant, and then the students got their hands dirty, learning how to properly seed, water, and take care of their plants to prepare them for growth in the greenhouse.

“Our first Greenhouse planting event was a great success,” commented Santiago, post-event. “The greenhouse was packed with students and staff eager to plant. The majority of them have never planted before, and Sustainability events like this help raise awareness and encourage students to live a greener lifestyle.”

The event on Thursday is one of several that Sustainability has planned throughout the semester, where students will learn about the importance of planting, composting, and other measures that maintain CSI as one of the nation’s greenest campuses, according to Princeton Review.

“We have five more events planned for this semester, including two more indoor greenhouse events that will teach students how to grow plants from bulbs and from cuttings,” Santiago said. “Our three outdoor events will start with the Annual Campus Cleanup in April, followed by Arbor Day Tree Planting, and transplanting in May.”

Santiago hopes that not only are the events enjoyable to those that participate, but that they also set good habits, especially for students after their studies are over at CSI. “We need our students to have a sustainability mindset and equipped with green skills as they enter their workplace in order to help companies implement sustainability strategies,” she said.

Check out all of the scenes of Thursday’s event in the CSI Today Photo Gallery.