By David Fleet
Editor
Goodrich — Horticulture students will now stay a little cooler and be afforded a little more working space thanks to a new Eagle Scout.
Sam Schaefer, 17, a Class of 22 GHS graduate and Goodrich Scout Troop 340 member completed his Eagle Scout project earlier this month by constructing two-4-by-8 feet permanent planting tables for the Goodrich Greenhouse.
“We needed more space for planting and to get outside the greenhouse where it’s often very hot in the spring months,” said Schaefer, who will attend Western Michigan University to study engineering this fall. “There’s a lot of value working outside, the tables are a better use of space.”
Funding for the tables came from pop cans and other donations.
Constructed about 20 years ago, the 96-feet-by-20 Greenhouse structure which featured a steel frame and a translucent polyvinyl covering was originally a work place for students to utilize a hands-on classroom. However, a series of wind storms, including a nearby Atlas Township tornado in 2014, devastated the one-time outdoor covered classroom used for science classes. In 2017, two students along with many community members spearheaded a plan to bring the greenhouse back to life. Now each year more than 60 students study horticulture in the outside classroom.
“The horticulture classes are amazing,” he said. “The success of this program depends on the students and their commitment to the greenhouse.”
The final step for an Eagle Scout will the court of honor at the Goodrich United Methodist Church this summer.
Schaefer will attend Western Michigan University, this fall to study engineering.
Sam is the son of Jennifer and Patrick Schaefer of Goodrich.