Springing into Action: Beatrice High School Science Club Hosts Annual Plant Sale

As part of its annual tradition, the Beatrice High School science club is hosting a spring sale this week in the school’s greenhouse. This event has been held for five years now, and it is managed by BHS teacher Paula Heinz. The greenhouse was initiated as a grant project by Dr. Joan Christen several years ago and has since become an integral part of the school’s curriculum.

Heinz expressed her passion for teaching her students about plants through this project. Her dual-credit botany class plays a crucial role in assisting with the sale, and she plans to involve agricultural classes in the future. She emphasized that students are taught about plant structures and processes, such as cells, transpiration, nutrients, and water requirements for photosynthesis.

The plants sold at the sale are sourced from plugs from commercial greenhouses since BHS holds a distributor’s license and does not develop its own plant varieties. The selection of plants is based on new and interesting varieties that are easy to care for. Heinz hopes that students will learn about plant care, greenhouse maintenance, and skills that could lead to careers in landscaping, plant science, genetics, gardening, or lawn care.

The sale primarily features annual bedding plants with a few perennials included. These plants are suitable for pots and landscaped beds. The sale hours are Wednesday to Friday from 3:45-5 p.m., and Saturday from 9 a.m., to noon. Interested individuals are advised to park in the high school parking lot and enter through the front doors before proceeding past the main staircase to the back of the school where the greenhouse is located.

Overall, this event aims to provide students with practical experience while also generating funds for science equipment purchases and scholarships for seniors planning to major in science in college.