In September, the UWM Biological Sciences Greenhouse participated in the city-wide Doors Open Milwaukee event, a two-day public celebration of Milwaukee’s art, architecture, culture, and history. Visitors were invited to explore behind-the-scenes of 160-plus unique and interesting spaces around Milwaukee that are not normally open to the public. This event brought people from around the country to Milwaukee for the weekend. This was a spectacular opportunity to showcase UWM’s College of Letters & Science spaces, including the Greenhouse, Thomas A. Greene Geological Museum, and the Manfred Olson Planetarium.
The Greenhouse was well attended, counting 503 guests on Saturday and 476 on Sunday, for a 2-day total of 979 guests that visited our facility. Visitors ranged from families with young children, to prospective and current college students, to UWM alumni and retired employees, to nearby neighbors and community members, and even to several employees of the previous building occupant, Columbia Hospital. Other attendees included residents outside of the Milwaukee metro area, and also some people from out state, coming from as far away as New York and Denver.
“We have come along way since our inaugural participation in Doors Open in 2017, when only 412 visitors came to see us!” said Paul Engevold, the Greenhouse manager.
Preparations for the event were varied and many. Besides the usual ‘get the plants and greenhouses looking as good as can be,’ Greenhouse staff and students included research posters with QR codes to faculty websites, a mini-movie studio showcasing exceptional native pollinator videos filmed and produced by Biological Sciences Professor Jeff Karron, and lots of microscopes and interactive displays for interested folks of all ages. Images from Doors Open Milwaukee can be seen on the Greenhouse’s Instagram page.
Collectively, UWM students and staff volunteers contributed over 160 volunteer hours to help make this event a success. Engvold thanked the College of Letters & Science and the Department of Biological Sciences for their continued support of the UWM Biological Sciences Greenhouse. In addition to supporting over 1,900 students in 2024 and facilitating $6 million in cutting-edge, funded research, the Greenhouse continues to expand its public outreach by holding educational workshops and Open House events on a regular basis, allowing both the UWM community and the general public an opportunity a glimpse at the unique instructional plant collection and the Department’s amazing research capabilities and achievements.
Engevold also acknowledge the contributions of several individuals who made the Greenhouse’s participate in Doors Open Milwaukee a success, including Associate Dean for the Natural Sciences Suzanne Boyd; horticultural technician Sara Seidita; Biological Sciences Laboratory Manager Wendy Shelton; Leila Goodrum; Biological Sciences Professor Jeff Karron; Tom Schuck; Charlie Licht and staff; the Yang and Zhao research laboratories; student volunteers Kaitlyn Lund, Adam, Sadie, Drew, Madi, Mish, Mackenzie, and Leila; Ron Tayge; and students in Architecture-140.
“Your collective efforts made the Doors Open event 2025 a spectacular success!” said Engevold.
By Paul Engevold, Department of Biological Sciences