Schenectady Central Park Greenhouse gets $10K grant

PHOTOGRAPHER: Peter R. Barber

Chuck Thorne, left, and Frank Gilmore talk in front of the greenhouse in Schenectady's Central Park Thursday.

The Schenectady Central Park Greenhouse has been awarded a $10,000 grant from the Carlilian Foundation, Friends of the Greenhouse announced Thursday.

The organization of community volunteers plan to use the funding to replace more than 400 feet of fence that runs along the greenhouse facility in Central Park.

Friends of the Greenhouse have been working with the Cooperative Extension and the city to rehabilitate the greenhouses after they were damaged by harsh weather last winter.

“This is a great community asset with tremendous potential for utilization by residents and organizations,” said Robert Carreau, grants chairman for the Carlilian Foundation. “We look forward to seeing how the Greenhouse can be made a thriving hub of activity and source of nutrition and education for the community.”

The new fencing will make the facility more secure and prevent animals from damaging the gardens, said Sarah Pechar, interim director of the Schenectady County Cooperative Extension.

Volunteers who are part of Friends of the Greenhouse meet every Thursday evening to develop and maintain the area. Friends of the Greenhouse are actively working to raise money through grant applications and plant sales.

The group has applied to become a not-for-profit corporation with the state.

Reach Gazette reporter Haley Viccaro at 395-3114, [email protected] or @HRViccaro on Twitter.