Article by Olivia Simonson. Photos by Olivia Simonson.
On March 19, the Botanical Society at St. Cloud State University hosted a ‘Build Your Own Terrarium’ event on campus. Students were encouraged to bring any jars, plants, or other decor they may want to use, but for those who showed up day of, they also provided the materials for students.
The SCSU Botanical Society Chapter is the first chapter in MN of the Botanical Society of America. Their goal is to teach others about plants, and students in the organization are involved in the Herbarium and the Greenhouse in the Wick Science Building. The organization is still growing, with roughly 100 members on their roster, and more joining every semester.
“Every time we’re at Main Street or Side Street, we’re always adding new names to our roster,” said secretary Makayla Michael, one of the officers for the Botanical Society.
Alongside their Monday weekly meetings, the chapter hosts a variety of events on campus throughout the year, including their latest event.
“We’ve had a lot of campus involvement,” said Michael. “A lot of people are glad that we are a botanical society on campus.”
The event was a guided event, with president Kendall Cross directing students on the building and care of their at home terrariums. Students learned about and implemented a drainage system into their terrariums and chose from a variety of plants – ranging from moss to spider plants to ferns. Then, students could include other plastic elements, such as bugs or roses, as a finishing touch before watering their new plants.
Some of the group’s more successful events have been DIY style, with the group having a DIY dress up contest in the fall, where students could design and “dress up” the pot that their plants were residing in.
“We actually still have them in the Greenhouse,” said Michael. “There’s Bill Cipher [from the show Gravity Falls], and Beyonce and a variety more.”
The greenhouse, one of the primary places the group focuses and prides themselves on, is functional year-round, with students and faculty caring for its plant inhabitants regardless of season, whether it be summer of one of Minnesota’s cold and snowy winters.
“It’s important to note that plants, even though they may appear dead, are likely just dormant,” said Dr. McDonnell, who is the faculty advisor for the Botanical Society one campus. “So, the greenhouse is one of things that gives me a lot of joy. It gives me a lot of joy year-round, but especially in the winter.”
The group is still relatively new to campus, with the chapter starting up last academic year during the fall of 2023. One tradition that the chapter will continue for another year is their plant sale. The sale is coming up quickly and will be held in April, where students and St. Cloud community can purchase everything from houseplants to succulents.
“It always seems to be a big hit,” said Michael. “We did it last year on one of the Family Days in the fall, and we had a lot of sales from that.”
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