Ever stood in line to return your books, or walked behind Mendocino Hall and seen the three greenhouses situated there? Most students stroll by and glance at them and some even peer inside, yet few students know exactly why they are there or what they are used for.

Don Agostinelli, the special support technician at Sacramento State, is in charge of the greenhouses and says that they are well utilized. For the most part, the greenhouses are used by the Biology department, which uses the plants grown there for demonstrations and experiments.

?There are materials in there that we are currently holding that are extinct in the wild,? Agostinelli said.

The three greenhouses are home to such plants as orchids and others of botanical interest). They are well-designed and well-built and can withstand the various weather conditions Sacramento experiences throughout the year.

According to Agostinelli, the largest greenhouse has been at Sac State since 1970, while the other two have been there for about four years. Although space is limited, another greenhouse would be beneficial in providing more research space to work in.

?It gets a lot of use, by students as well as people from off campus. Many of the high schools, junior high schools and elementary schools use the greenhouses as a resource for learning,? Agostinelli said.

Many students at Sac State, like sophomore Cher Ablang, find the greenhouses helpful in grasping concepts in biology. In her Biology 5 class, they used the greenhouses to observe the different kinds of cells that the various plants have.

?It was very beneficial to see the plants and their structures up close,? Ablang said. ?It made me have a better understanding of a variety of plants covered in the text, much easier than by just using the textbook itself.?

Whether you are a biology major or simply interested in seeing a range of gorgeous plants, the greenhouses are an ideal place to visit. From the rare plants housed inside, to the awesome look of the structures on the outside, these greenhouses make a wonderful addition and learning environment to the CSUS campus.