An early morning wake-up isn’t your typical student’s strong suit. But given a chance to mingle with more than 200 tropical plant species, volunteers of all ages arrived at the McMaster greenhouse bright and early for the university’s first-ever Plant Parade. 

One particularly eager eight-year-old volunteer and aspiring botanist woke his parents up at the crack of dawn ahead of the moving experience with plants that he admires. 

After a few beads of sweat and some soil under their fingernails, a crowd of more than 80 volunteers helped the greenhouse turn over a new leaf and take root when they delivered hundreds of potted plants to the new McMaster Learning and Discovery Greenhouse. 

Dubbed the Plant Parade, students, staff, faculty, alumni and friends of McMaster toured the much-anticipated greenhouse while lending a helping hand. The parade delivered the remainder of McMaster’s tropical plant collection from the old greenhouse, which has been in transport since July. 

“The Plant Parade was amazingly efficient,” said Susan Dudley, a professor of biology and lead caretaker of the greenhouse. “When you move from one house to another, you want lots of friends to come and give you a hand. We made lots of new friends at the parade.” 

Over the past three months, Dudley, professional arborists and droves of volunteers uprooted and relocated McMaster’s diverse plant collection from the 65-year-old greenhouse to the new facility, located beside the Life Sciences Building and the Health Sciences Centre. 

First, Aberdeen Tree Services carefully transported dozens of towering tropical trees. Then, volunteers from Nature @ McMaster spent weeks moving more than 800 wheelbarrows and 67 tonnes of soil to prepare the garden beds. Shortly after, large plants were shuttled across campus by more than 40 volunteers from McMaster’s Facility Services team. 

The Plant Parade served as the final leg of the greenhouse relocation, ushering in a new era of scientific education, research and engagement on campus. The space is slated to officially open in Spring 2025. 

“It was electric,” said Shay Freger, a graduate student in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and a 10-year volunteer at the greenhouse. “When I first started volunteering at the greenhouse, there were maybe two volunteers, including myself. Eventually we hit double digits, which was pretty incredible. And then at the parade, seeing more than 80 volunteers show up, it was remarkable.” 

The McMaster Learning and Discovery Greenhouse began construction in January 2022. It features a tall and spacious plant-friendly design and advanced technology like a sustainable geothermal system for year-round heating and cooling.   

The 1,059-square-metre space embodies McMaster’s collective expertise in planetary health — an interdisciplinary field addressing the impacts of human disruptions to Earth’s natural systems. It is a hub for faculty immersed in pivotal ecology, physiology and molecular biology research, as well as the students who seek an education that contributes to safeguarding our planet. 

Students from all Faculties will be encouraged to visit, study and relax in the new facility. Whether they are performing experiments in one of the eight climate-controlled research cells or studying at an atrium desk that overlooks the tropical plant collection, the space is designed to support their needs.  

The Plant Parade marked the new facility’s first large gathering of visitors.  

The former greenhouse welcomed nearly 3,000 community guests every year, and the new facility is expected to welcome even more guests. 

As part of the Faculty of Science’s mission to promote scientific literacy and understanding in our community, leaders from the Faculty and Department of Biology will offer public greenhouse programming such as tours, research showcases and field trips for elementary and high school students and youth groups.  

Visitors can anticipate a more accessible greenhouse with regular hours and more public activities, said Dudley.  

“We already have tours booked and programming that will bring in undergraduate students and give them a greenhouse experience. And with all these happy plants, we hope to have several blooms in the next year or two, allowing us to showcase our exotic plants to a wider audience.” 

The McMaster Learning and Discovery Greenhouse is a fundraising priority for the university. Philanthropic gifts will have a tremendous impact by enhancing experiential learning, critical research and community programming. To learn more about supporting the greenhouse, please contact giving@mcmaster.ca or 905-525-9140 ext. 24224.