Palouse-Clearwater Environmental Institute

“connecting people, place and community”

Thomas O. Brown Learning Greenhouse

Summer 2022 Update

Thanks to the Thomas O. Brown Foundation and our many Greenhouse donors, the Greenhouse is now complete with doors, flooring, lighting, and electricity! The Greenhouse is used for growing plants and also can be reserved for community or family events! Email info@pcei.org to learn more.

Set up for a play by UI students
Idaho Native Plant Society held their plant sale in the Greenhouse

Summer 2019 Update

Donate to the Greenhouse today using PCEI’s secure online donation form!

The roof is on! About 200 guests enjoyed great music, food and drink at our “open greenhouse” and got to take home a variety of native plants for their gardens. Visit our Facebook timeline for fun photos from the Gala.

The construction of the Learning Greenhouse would not have been possible without the generous support of the Thomas O. Brown Foundation and our many greenhouse donors. Thank you!

Spring 2019 Update

The Greenhouse is nearly ready for the clear siding to go up!

Winter 2019 Update

The roof is going up!

Fall 2018 Update

The trusses are going up! Many thanks to Rugged Cut Custom Metal Works for going the extra mile so that we could use the Learning Greenhouse for our 11th Annual Animals of the Night family event on October 26, 2018.

On October 22, 2018, we were honored to receive a visit from family members of the Thomas O. Brown Foundation. This project would not be possible without their generous support. Thank you!

Paul Burgess, Mary Kirkpatrick and Lysa Salsbury in front of the emerging structure of the Thomas O. Brown Learning Greenhouse.

Summer 2018 Update

May 2018: An assortment of plants from the John Crock Learning Nursery are temporarily residing inside the foundation walls of the Thomas O. Brown Learning Greenhouse during the current rebuild of the irrigation system in the Nursery. Seen to the right are the wall and roof truss materials for the frame construction. Environmental education class in the background.

We are thrilled to announce that construction has begun (offsite) on the walls and roof trusses of the Thomas O. Brown Learning Greenhouse! A major component of the structure includes recycled trusses donated by the Clearwater Paper Corporation from its Lewiston site.

When completed, the 3,200 square foot Thomas O. Brown Learning Greenhouse will be used for native plant production, growing demonstrations, educational space, and innovative efforts such as aquaponics (growing both fish and plants using recirculating water).

Click here to make a Greenhouse pledge or gift today!

The Learning Greenhouse
will expand educational opportunities
at the PCEI Nature Center.
Children play near the foundation of the
Thomas O. Brown Learning Greenhouse.

The Thomas O. Brown Foundation has been the cornerstone of this ambitious project providing $75,000 in support to date. In the words of the Foundation, “We are deeply impressed by your dedication and vision to this project, and are pleased to be significant partners in this venture.”

The Thomas O. Brown Foundation is a small, private family foundation whose mission is to provide financial support to organizations that protect and preserve National Parks and other places of natural beauty in the United States. One of the core goals of the Foundation is to fund organizations that promote outdoor education and outreach.

For more information, please contact PCEI Executive Director Tom Lamar at 208-882-1444 or lamar@pcei.org.