Greenhouse vandalism sparks concern on campus
Acts of vandalism has occurred at the greenhouse on campus at Fanshawe College, the home of the Horticulture Technician program among others.
During the second week of school three windows were smashed, and during the week of September 25 another window was broken, when rocks were thrown through.
Second year student in the Horticulture Technician program Susana Aires said she was angered by the incidents and wants them to stop.
“People have no idea how much time and effort we put in there,” Aires said referring to her program's work in the greenhouse. “Maybe you love painting, or music. This is just the same as someone ripping apart your painting or wrecking your CD.”
Currently the horticulture program is nursing over 1200 poinsettia plants in the greenhouse, in hopes of raising funds for their program and maintaining the continuous running of the student-managed greenhouse.
Acting coordinator for the program, Jack Parker, said horticulture students face real-world pressures to keep their program alive.
“The students face bottom line pressure, as they have to raise about twenty-thousand dollars a year for operation cost of the greenhouse,” Parker said.
To help with the cost of operation, students utilize the poinsettia project to sell the plants and place the profit towards the program. Parker said the vandalism earlier this year could have been devastating to the project but luckily only minor damages occurred to a few plants.
“If this would have happened in December, we could have lost the entire crop,” Parker said. “Luckily only four plants were ruined, but no significant damage occurred.”
Both Parker and Aires said they believed alcohol was involved in the two incidents at the greenhouse.
“It's not right that they can't go out and not be an idiot,” Aires said. “I can go out and have fun, have some drinks and still leave the property the same way it was once I leave.”
Aires said the horticulture program at Fanshawe is on of the best in Ontario, and they help maintain the beautification of the entire campus.
“Without all the trees and plants on campus, Fanshawe would not be the beautiful property that it is, so we just want the vandalism to stop,” Aires said.
There are currently 34 students in the second-year Horticulture Technician program, which is in its sixth-year at Fanshawe. Students taking the program have been recognized by winning an assortment of provincial, and national awards over the past six years.
“The students in our program create premium quality plants, definitely floral shop material,” Parker said.
The vandalism incidents at Fanshawe's greenhouse coincided with Go Graffiti Go day and the Graffiti Removal program of London.
A Community Spirit project sponsored by the Community Guider London-Middlesex and Neighbourhood Watch London, and working with the City of London — Environmental Programs and The London Police Service — Community Oriented Response Unit designed to organize a program to create awareness through active community participation.
Local high school students and other members of the community are teaming up to help remove graffiti in community neighbourhoods and business areas in and around the city of London.
During the second week of school three windows were smashed, and during the week of September 25 another window was broken, when rocks were thrown through.
Second year student in the Horticulture Technician program Susana Aires said she was angered by the incidents and wants them to stop.
“People have no idea how much time and effort we put in there,” Aires said referring to her program's work in the greenhouse. “Maybe you love painting, or music. This is just the same as someone ripping apart your painting or wrecking your CD.”
Currently the horticulture program is nursing over 1200 poinsettia plants in the greenhouse, in hopes of raising funds for their program and maintaining the continuous running of the student-managed greenhouse.
Acting coordinator for the program, Jack Parker, said horticulture students face real-world pressures to keep their program alive.
“The students face bottom line pressure, as they have to raise about twenty-thousand dollars a year for operation cost of the greenhouse,” Parker said.
To help with the cost of operation, students utilize the poinsettia project to sell the plants and place the profit towards the program. Parker said the vandalism earlier this year could have been devastating to the project but luckily only minor damages occurred to a few plants.
“If this would have happened in December, we could have lost the entire crop,” Parker said. “Luckily only four plants were ruined, but no significant damage occurred.”
Both Parker and Aires said they believed alcohol was involved in the two incidents at the greenhouse.
“It's not right that they can't go out and not be an idiot,” Aires said. “I can go out and have fun, have some drinks and still leave the property the same way it was once I leave.”
Aires said the horticulture program at Fanshawe is on of the best in Ontario, and they help maintain the beautification of the entire campus.
“Without all the trees and plants on campus, Fanshawe would not be the beautiful property that it is, so we just want the vandalism to stop,” Aires said.
There are currently 34 students in the second-year Horticulture Technician program, which is in its sixth-year at Fanshawe. Students taking the program have been recognized by winning an assortment of provincial, and national awards over the past six years.
“The students in our program create premium quality plants, definitely floral shop material,” Parker said.
The vandalism incidents at Fanshawe's greenhouse coincided with Go Graffiti Go day and the Graffiti Removal program of London.
A Community Spirit project sponsored by the Community Guider London-Middlesex and Neighbourhood Watch London, and working with the City of London — Environmental Programs and The London Police Service — Community Oriented Response Unit designed to organize a program to create awareness through active community participation.
Local high school students and other members of the community are teaming up to help remove graffiti in community neighbourhoods and business areas in and around the city of London.
