Greenwave Plant Systems Students Receive Grant

With the help of Christy Sullivan from Lahontan Conservation District, the Greenwave Plant Systems Class at Churchill County High School has received a grant through the Nevada Outdoor Education and Recreation Grant from the Nevada Division of Outdoor Recreation. 

The Plant Systems class was begun in the fall semester of 2023. Jaime Sammons, who has Two Ravens Farms with her husband and is famous for its rare peppers, was hired to teach the course.

Plant Systems class is offered to all students as a Career & Technical Education (CTE) course, which provides skills and knowledge applicable to specific jobs or fields of work, providing an alternative to college. Before initiating the Plant Systems class in 2023, the campus greenhouse was inactive and in a state of disrepair. The class with access to outdoor growing spaces offers opportunities to students that they did not previously have. In 2024, a second Plant Systems class was added, giving the students the benefit of an introductory and advanced class, and importantly, the classes have been approved as a science elective.

“The classes fill up quickly,” Sammons said. There are 25 students in the Introduction class, and the Advanced class has 20 students.

Students in Sammons’ classes also get to explore the various uses of plants, exploring art projects using ink made from walnuts. “They also made skin care products and hot sauce,” she said.

The school has two 40-foot Agra-Tec greenhouses that sat empty for a few years. “The class is repairing and upgrading as we can,” Sammons said, “we have a small outdoor area with raised beds that we plant and harvest vegetables and seeds from. The area also has an active compost bin that students even bring scraps from home to fill.” Having this space encourages students to work together on watering, weeding, and harvesting. 

The purpose of the grant project is to expand classroom resources. Funding will be used to purchase each student a wooden half barrel, soil, and fertilizer for growing vegetables in the greenhouses during the colder months. There will also be funding for garden hoses, watering cans, and shade cloths to allow the students to enjoy the outdoor spaces in the heat.

Last year, students successfully raised nursery-grade plants for the annual community plant sale through the Conservation District. “As the program grows, we are increasing the diversity in our annual plant sale for the community,” Sullivan said.

Sammons said that last year, students focused on heirloom vegetables, flowers, and herbs grown from seeds. “We plan to begin starting trees and shrubs, as well as native plants that could be sold to our community and local nurseries for resale. Our program has a nursery certificate through the Nevada Department of Agriculture, and finding native plants for purchase is nearly impossible in our town.” 

A typical class period for Sammons and her students generally starts with a cup of tea (from herbs grown by the students) over a bit of botany in personalized science journals. Doodling is encouraged. A small experiment or demonstration usually follows, making paper from dried plants and recycled egg cartons or looking under the microscope at the aphids found in cottonwood galls, for example.

“If it's Wednesday, we go for a ‘Weed of the Week Walk’ around campus to identify and remove weeds from the school grounds. If it's Friday, we usually have snacks before heading to the greenhouses,” she said. The Plant Systems students have also started a Horticulture Club and meet regularly under Sammons’ guidance. 

The grant will be implemented beginning in 2025. The planting barrels will be an asset that will continue to benefit students as they can be used every year with just a refresh of the topsoil. Students will also be involved with the grant, helping with quarterly reporting by describing their growing successes and the annual plant sale.

“As the program and outdoor space expands, it is becoming a place that all students at the high school come to experience nature,” Sammons said. “We hope that our gardens and greenhouses eventually become a display area that other schools in our district come to enjoy and learn from as well.” 

“Lahontan Conservation District (LCD) and the State Conservation Districts Program are thrilled to be involved in this project. Jaime has accomplished so much already with this class using limited resources, and LCD is excited to help expand their resources,” Sullivan said. “LCD will provide funding for grant purchases up front and handle the grant fiscal management and reimbursement process with the Nevada Division of Outdoor Recreation. LCD will also team up with the Plant Systems Class to join their annual tree and shrub sale to the students’ plant sale.” 

“They call this a non-traditional learning class,” Sammons said. “I wish every kid had to take it. This is important. This is Fallon values.”