OLIVE HILL, Ky. — Merriam-Webster Dictionary describes the word “ingenuity” as “a skill or cleverness in devising or combining.” Science students at West Carter Middle School (WCMS) have used big-time ingenuity to create a greenhouse out of plastic two-liter bottles.

Beverly McDavid, WCMS science teacher, said the idea of using plastic bottles for the greenhouse came from the Internet and the creativity of her students. “It took about 1,200 bottles to a make a 12-by-12-foot greenhouse,” she said. “At first I don’t think the students could see it in their minds, they really didn’t think that it would work, but after we started putting it together, they could see it better.”

The project, part of her Science Club activities along with the students’ involvement in the Green and Healthy Schools (GHS) program, took two years to complete. First came collecting all of the bottles and taking the labels off, and building a wooden frame with wire around it to hold the bottles in place.

The GHS initiative is “a service learning and student-centered program that empowers students and staff to move their school toward becoming safer, healthier and more environmentally sustainable. This inquiry-based program uses the entire school grounds as a learning laboratory for students,” according to information from the Kentucky Environmental Education Council (KEEC), the agency that administers GHS.

The students also used old, discarded tires filled with dirt to serve as the foundation for the structure. McDavid said the tires serve to hold in heat along with the bottles. Two black rainwater barrels are used to collect water needed for plants and to also act as heat conductors during the warmer parts of the day.

McDavid said the reality of the greenhouse came by way of an energy grant that included a provision in the application to grow produce for the school cafeteria. By giving the food to the cafeteria, she said she was also able to show an energy savings for the district by eliminating some of its food transportation costs.

“We have grown lettuce and onions and the cafeteria has used it in the salads,” McDavid said. “We are growing flowers, too, that we are hoping to sell.”

She added that plans are to continue with what the class has done so far, noting how much they have enjoyed the process. WCMS student Madison Carroll feels doing this project helped the class learn the importance of taking care of the planet’s environment.

“I also thought it was interesting how the bottles and barrels kept the plants heated and the barrels collected rain water so we didn’t have to use tap water,” Carroll said.

Student Ryan Fox added, “I loved building the greenhouse. Not only did it teach me how to build the greenhouse physically, but it also taught me how the sunlight can transfer through the pop bottles and give the plants the necessary sunlight to grow.”

Student Sydney Logan reiterated that thought, saying, “I think it is so cool how sunlight can go right through the pop bottles. My favorite part of Science Club this year was putting plants into pots of soil and letting them grow inside of our homemade greenhouse. It is neat that our lettuce and onions was actually added to the salads in the school cafeteria.”

Recently, the group attended the GHS Awards Day in Frankfort, where McDavid’s students set up a display explaining their project, how it works and all that went into its creation. The awards ceremony is an annual joint venture between KEEC and the Kentucky National Energy Education Development (NEED) Project that recognizes schools from across the state that have excelled in their efforts to promote and participate in environmental education.

“Kentucky NEED serves K-12 students and educators across the Commonwealth … and offers a suite of programs that delivers support to teachers and school administrators in the area of instructional methods, curriculum, professional development and energy management – all with an emphasis on integrating energy into student learning,” according to information from the agency.