‘Green Gem’

MIA HAYES AGUILAR describes her work as a blank canvas.

Serving as the manager for University of North Carolina Wilmington’s Kresge Greenhouse, Aguilar is the maestro behind each brushstroke of collaboration and contribution involving the space that houses well over 1,000 plants of all species.

Aguilar describes the greenhouse as a place of solace, and she often lets students come in to read a book, sketch, or simply be among the plants. Although she loves them all, her favorite plant, a Philodendron Prince of Orange (she’s named it Prince) sits at a prized location on her desk.

“(With the greenhouse,) I have come up with this piece of art that has actually brought in more collaboration and something that is an open resource on campus. It’s like a beautiful green gem, a painting of green that brings students, faculty, and staff here,” Aguilar says. “It opens up opportunities for students for internships, independent study, research, and collaborating with different departments.”

When she first arrived at UNCW in 2021, Aguilar recalls that some students weren’t aware of the campus greenhouse. Although the greenhouse rests under the umbrella of the Department of Biology & Marine Biology, she has grown its reach to new departments and students.

During the last two fall semesters, Aguilar partnered with the departments of Art and Art History for “Lights Off, Art On,” a light-based art show and plant sale open to the public. In the exhibition, students from the video projection class created artistic projections that cast a sense of place and story onto various greenhouse plants.

Aguilar also created an event last spring, in collaboration with Campus Dining, called Taste of the Greenhouse. Cupcakes were topped with edible flowers, including nasturtium, calendula, and pansies, all of which Aguilar grew and supplied. The catchphrase, “eat your flowers,” was a nod to the health benefits of edible flowers, including their anti-inflammatory properties.

Additionally, she serves as adviser to the Garden Club, which focuses on students’ love and knowledge of gardening. They practice their craft with eight beds just outside the greenhouse.

Aguilar says she loves to see the beauty and creativity that come from the students and their inventiveness with greenhouse resources, and she welcomes their involvement. “Even with volunteers, it takes many hands,” she says of greenhouse upkeep. “I do solicit at times for volunteers, but a lot is word of mouth. Students become repeat volunteers from freshman to senior year – it’s like looking at a plant grow.”

Greenhouse volunteers and student interns all learn how to water and take care of the plants, many of which are suited for tropical and international environments. Throughout their time, Aguilar watches students develop a mastery and confidence in learning to deal with controlled spaces, including natural pest management, cultivation, and propagation.

Aguilar recalls when she was a student herself. “Humble beginnings I didn’t know would lead me down this path,” she says. She attended the Chicago High School for Agricultural Sciences, and an internship at Virginia State University led to her four-year degree in agriculture.

“Now I look back at the puzzle pieces and it all worked out,” she says. “I’ve been an agricultural statistician, a lab technician for horticulture; I have worked in research for plant innovation – all these branches of science, and now I get a chance to fit all of my experiences into this space.”

To view more of photographer Terah Hoobler’s work, go to terahhoobler.com.

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