Greenhouse dome cultivates global dream

A shining geodesic dome tucked in a Salida backyard is nurturing plants, children’s imaginations and a dream to connect people to natural gardening as far away as Mongolia.

Global Children’s Gardens owns the H Street greenhouse, which is 33 feet in diameter and 850 square feet. The Evergreen, Colo.-based organization donates the use of its greenhouse so Salida schoolchildren may learn about gardening and their environment. This vision of bringing children together to explore the wonders and wisdom of gardening came to GCG founder Allan Werthan in a waking dream. “It led me on a 10-year exploration,” Werthan said. “The first greenhouse took four years of Sundays.”

Currently, GCG has built 13 greenhouses.; 10 of them in Colorado. The others are in Teec Nos Pos, Ariz.; Cienega, Mexico; and another outside Cleveland. The greenhouse near Cleveland was built in the backyard of a teen with cancer through the Make-A-Wish foundation.

Children from Longfellow Elementary School, the Chaffee County Montessori School and The Crest Academy spend time in the greenhouse, which serves as an outdoor classroom and a warm place to play. It’s a sanctuary away from the wind, dust and deer, always seeking a nibble. The air is moist, the fragrance earthy. Eight-year-old Jason Joslin explained that the 4-foot pool in the greenhouse creates thermal mass. “It absorbs heat and releases heat to stay warm,” he said. The humidity is an added bonus. The greenhouse has solar fans and a new solar pump for the pool.

As environmental education creeps into private and public school curriculums, more children are learning to grow food. Gardens are also fertile ground to teach math and economics.

Mary Gage of Salida shows Montessori children how to plant eggplant, cantaloupe, cucumbers and peppers in the black coffee-colored dirt. She points out the triangles connecting to create the dome’s walls. Bringing in other subjects while in the garden “just happens,” Gage said.

Economics is part of the project. Montessori plant sale proceeds enabled the school to donate $400.00 to Global Children’s Gardens. The schoolchildren have previously sold leftover basil to Amicas Pizzas and Microbrews. Depending on how much basil the children grow, Amicas owner Kathie Younghans said she’ll likely continue the arrangement.

Matthew Coen, environmental science teacher at The Crest Academy, said his plan is to “create an ecological cycle” in the greenhouse. Coen wants chickens to control pests, such as ants. The chicken poop contributes to the compost, which fertilizes the plants. He also hopes to put shrimp into the pool to eat plant waste. The shrimp convert the plant waste to nitrogen, which then fertilizes plants. Coen said they’re moving closer toward closing the ecological loop.

“We’re creating a good teaching space for local schools,” he said.

Crest kids brought home spinach and radishes, and learned about the commercial side of agriculture too, he said.

Lessons on Native American customs, nutrition and folklore bloom as well. Montessori children will take seedlings to grow a “three sisters” garden – corn, beans and squash. The crops are mutually beneficial. The cornstalks support the bean vines, the squash covers the soil, helping control weeds and, ideally, deters critters. Nitrogen remaining from the beans will be available for the corn the next year. The sisters also complement each other nutritionally.

When the children plant the three sisters, it might come up that some Native Americans give thanks to the “Four Directions” by orienting the corn seeds to the north, south, east and west. Students may use compasses and track the sun’s movements. And, apparently, the Iroquois planted three sisters seeds with kind thoughts three days before the full moon.

Gage has learned her gardening skills as an adult through toil and sweat. “It’s grown into this thing I have to do,” said Gage, a Montessori parent. “It’s not about me gardening or even about providing food for my family. It’s about teaching the next generation how to grow food. That knowledge is being lost.”

Beyond raising food, many gardeners find the experience intoxicating, profound and even spiritual. Henry Mitchell wrote, “Almost any garden, if you see it at just the right moment, can be confused with paradise.”

Werthan said he hopes the Salida dome outgrows itself and gardens surround it next year. He’s using the Salida greenhouse as a model to create a community greenhouse with raised beds in Buchanan Park in the heart of his hometown, Evergreen.

Werthan said the Colorado Garden Show and the Scientific and Cultural Facilities District contributed to the Salida greenhouse. Werthan also patches together monies from grants, private parties and contributions from his River Sage Natural Foods Company for domes.

Werthan’s work is certainly drawing attention. Werthan said the dome in Teec Nos Pos was built with the support of Jamie “The Naked Chef” Oliver of England. A Navajo elder wanted local children to connect with their heritage through diet and Oliver did a show on prehistoric food. Navajo students built the greenhouse with Werthan’s supervision. Werthan will return to Arizona next week with Evergreen schoolchildren to build raised beds and camp on ancestral lands. “It’s as much a cultural exchange,” Werthan said.

The crew will swing by Ignacio, Colo., on the return trip to share seedlings and celebrate with friends at the greenhouse there.

In the early days Werthan’s challenge was involving other people to share his vision. Now it’s trying to keep up with the interest and demand. A Canadian citizen from Mongolia wants GCG’s help to build a greenhouse in her homeland. Werthan explains that a project of this magnitude takes a few years to happen. “But it will,” he said.

Read more about Global Children’s Gardens.