History

In 1986, the College dedicated its newly built greenhouse in memory of Amos Eno, a former trustee of College of the Atlantic. Funds for the construction of the greenhouse were donated by Alice Eno, Amos’ wife, who became a trustee after his death. Alice was a very active supporter of the College; the Biological Research Station on Great Duck Island is named after her in recognition of her devotion to science and her love of COA students.

Work study student, Emily Michaud, caring for the succulent collectionWork study student, Emily Michaud, caring for the succulent collection

Uses

Like many COA facilities the greenhouse is open to the public, but its primary purpose is to support classes in all of the Colleges’s resource areas. Some of these classes include: 4D design, Environmental Chemistry, Gardens and Greenhouses, Environmental Physiology, Agroecology, and Edible Botany.

Many students choose to do class projects and independent research in the greenhouse. In the past, these projects have included photography, installation art, measurements of air quality, architectural plans, and hydroponic research. The greenhouse has two banks of growing lights for controlled experiments. The greenhouse also serves as seasonal storage for COA’s garden plants that are not winter-hardy.

Management

The Amos Eno Greenhouse is run entirely by work-study students under the supervision of Dr. Suzanne Morse. The greenhouse is managed using organic gardening practices, and all organic waste is composted into the community garden compost pile. The greenhouse holds annual plant sales to raise money for horticultural supplies.