Additional Resources

Located in the Noelle E. Cockett Life Science Building General Biology laboratories, the greenhouse maintains tropical and desert terrariums that integrate live plants with natural substrates and unique invertebrates. These living displays feature species such as giant millipedes, desert millipedes, pink dragon millipedes, and a variety of isopods, providing dynamic examples of small‑scale ecosystems. The terrariums support hands‑on learning and instructional demonstrations in biology laboratories, allowing students to observe organismal interactions, decomposition, and ecosystem processes in real time.

Giant Golden Desert Millipede (Orthoporus ornatus) in a sandy terrarium
(Photo Credits: Greenhouse Staff)

Sustainability and student safety are central to greenhouse operations. The Biology Teaching Greenhouse employs a comprehensive Integrated Pest Management (IPM) program that prioritizes prevention, monitoring, biological controls, and environmental practices instead of routine pesticide use. This approach protects plant health while modeling responsible, low‑impact horticultural practices for students and the broader campus community.

As part of IPM instruction, students learn to identify common greenhouse pests—such as aphids, thrips, whiteflies, and mealybugs—alongside beneficial insects used as natural biological controls. Lady beetles, lacewing larvae, predatory mites, and parasitoid wasps are released strategically, allowing students to observe predator–prey dynamics, ecological interactions, and pest management decision‑making in real time.

The greenhouse also integrates cultural and environmental practices including routine scouting, sanitation protocols, quarantine and isolation benches, targeted watering, airflow optimization, and environmental adjustments that prevent pest outbreaks before they occur. Together, these practices emphasize proactive plant care and long‑term system health rather than reactive chemical intervention.

In addition to supporting teaching and research, the greenhouse models sustainable resource use through targeted propagation practices, composting, and reduced chemical inputs. Each year, more than 2,000 pounds of organic plant material are diverted to campus composting programs, supporting closed‑loop resource cycles and reducing the greenhouse’s environmental footprint.

Greenhouse staff release beneficial insects onto plants as part of routine integrated pest management.
(Photo Credits: Greenhouse Staff)

Beyond formal instruction, the greenhouse supports student well-being and campus culture by maintaining indoor plant displays in study lounges and common areas across multiple buildings, including the Noelle E. Cockett Life Science Building, the Eccles Science Learning Center, and the Biology–Natural Resources Building. These plantings create restorative environments that encourage focus, reduce stress, and strengthen connections to nature across academic spaces. 

Native plant beds surrounding the greenhouse further extend learning outdoors, offering field‑adjacent opportunities to study local ecology and plant identification.

Living plants in the renovated Biology–Natural Resources (BNR) atrium create a welcoming space that supports focus and connection.
(Photo Credit: Greenhouse Staff)

While the Biology Teaching Greenhouse is primarily dedicated to university teaching, research, and discovery—with access centered on scheduled courses, laboratories, and approved academic projects—it also supports approved, supervised creative and interdisciplinary engagement. By request, small academic groups from non‑Biology courses and campus or community organizations may participate in guided visits and learning activities that align with the greenhouse’s educational mission.

These visits allow small groups to explore living plant systems up close in a climate‑controlled environment, particularly during winter months when outdoor access to biological material is limited. Participating groups have included nature journaling collectives, photographers, and students in art and literature. Biblical studies courses have also used the greenhouse, where living plant collections support discussions of religiously significant species, symbolism, terminology, and historical texts through close observation, reflection, and creative inquiry.

Visitors may sketch, write, or photograph living collections using portable materials, provided greenhouse pathways remain clear and academic activities are not disrupted. When staffing permits, a brief orientation or mini‑tour may be included.

A member of a local nature journaling club sketches plant details and records observations along a wooden walkway in the tropical greenhouse.
(Photo Credits: Greenhouse Staff)

Members of the Utah Watercolor Society’s Cache Valley Chapter create plein air paintings inspired by greenhouse plants.
(Photo Credits: Greenhouse Staff)

The Biology Teaching Greenhouse supports campus and community engagement through guided tours, outreach events, and educational partnerships, including programs such as Science Unwrapped.

For outreach events, greenhouse staff prepare themed plant displays—such as carnivorous, seasonal, and specialty specimens—and provide live plant materials that allow audiences to explore plant structure, function, diversity, and environmental adaptation through direct observation and guided discussion.

The greenhouse also welcomes approved, supervised visits from campus groups and student organizations whose interests align with plants, nature, sustainability, art, and observation‑based learning. These visits provide opportunities for exploration, reflection, and guided learning while maintaining the greenhouse’s primary focus on teaching and research.

Community outreach and mentorship initiatives further extend the greenhouse’s impact. Programs such as the Native American STEM Mentorship Program (NASMP) bring visiting students into the greenhouse during the summer for hands‑on planting projects, guided journaling, and reflective learning experiences that emphasize stewardship, experiential education, and connection to place.

The greenhouse has long supported the annual Biology Graduate Student Association (BGSA) Plant Sale by supplying plants that help fund graduate research and travel while promoting wellbeing, engagement, and connection through plant care.

As an active teaching and research environment, plant collections are cared for daily. During visits and outreach events, visitors may encounter ongoing plant care activities, environmental monitoring, wet floors, or temporary maintenance.

A small group of visiting students walks a greenhouse pathway during a guided session, observing dense tropical plant collections around a small water feature.
(Photo Credits: Greenhouse Staff)