A greener future

On the last day of August, biology professor Ryan McEwan planted an oak tree seedling to mark the first day that the new greenhouse and garden at Old River Park, an extended part of UD’s campus, officially became operational.

“[It’s] a humble beginning and step toward a bright future,” he said.

Officially designated Ginny’s Garden and Greenhouse in a ceremony Sept. 29, the project has been in the works for more than six years with the help and inspiration of donor Rick Borth and his family.  Named after his late wife, M. Virginia “Ginny” Ferron Borth ’81, the greenhouse and garden are  a recognition of everything UD has done for their family, Borth said.

Borth married into the ultimate Flyer family when he married Ginny Ferron. Her father, William O. Ferron Sr., studied chemical engineering at UD, and several of his children attended the University, including Ginny.

“It kind of became the family university,” said Borth.

Ginny, an economics major, often said how much of an impact being a Flyer had on her life, so much so that both her sons, David and Eric, wanted to attend UD. Both graduated as Flyers — David in 2016 with a degree in chemical engineering, and Eric in 2017 with a degree in biology — and earned their master’s degrees at UD.

“They each had mentors [who] really cared about them and about helping other people. You can see it today — six, seven years after they graduated — it’s become part of them,” Borth said. “In the big circle of life, you realize how important a place like UD is.”

After Ginny died in 2016, Borth sat down with his sons and discussed how they wanted to honor their mother while also making a difference.

“Ginny was very loving — always willing to give up herself to help someone out,” Borth said. “We wanted to help her good will
live on.”

Borth said they started talking about how important a place like UD is in taking care of the things that sustain us and the world. So, Borth went to biology professor Mark Nielsen and Karolyn Hansen, professor and chair of the biology department, and asked, “What do you need?” A greenhouse made the list.

Professor McEwan, at that time, was taking students off campus for biology labs to a greenhouse several miles away at Cox Arboretum, so a greenhouse closer to campus was an exciting idea.

“Ginny’s Garden will provide exciting new capacity that supports faculty-mentored experiential learning in biology,” said McEwan. “Because of this new space, students will be able to ask new scientific questions that engage regional efforts to restore ecosystems.”

Working with UD’s advancement office, Borth put the plans in place for his gift. He also worked with the development team to add a full garden to the space to support sustainable food initiatives.

“It’s a recognition to honor her and all of what got us here. That’s how we describe sustainability — you honor what you’ve received,” he said.

“It’s a recognition to honor her and all of what got us here. That’s how we describe sustainability — you honor what you’ve received."

What Borth is really hoping for in the greenhouse and garden is real-world experiences for many UD students and opportunities for experiential learning.

“The reason you have experiential learning is that you can’t be so easily fooled by someone who just says something like, ‘Throw these seeds on the concrete and they’ll grow.’ You have to tend the garden,” Borth said.

He is happy that Ginny will live on through Ginny’s Garden and UD. In fact, he said, Ginny’s ashes sit on the hill of Woodland Cemetery overlooking Marycrest, her freshman dorm. 

“It’s a pretty interesting circle of life,” he said.