Danforth Plant Center deepens roots in community with birthday bash on Sept. 28

From The St. Louis American. Thursday, September 25, 2008
by Alvin A. Reid

The Donald Danforth Plant Science Center is set to celebrate its 10th anniversary with a birthday bash from 1-6 p.m. Sunday, September 28.

St. Louis County Executive Charlie Dooley is celebrating the center’s impact on the county, as well as the region.

“Average workers in the life science industry earn more than $50,000 annually; promoting more of these new jobs will make a vital contribution to the economy of St. Louis County,” Dooley said.

The Danforth Center recently announced a $2.4 million tax credit to help fund its Bio-Research and Development Growth Park (BRDG Park), and the first of three new office and laboratory buildings is under construction adjacent to the Danforth research facility at the intersection of Olive and Warson.

The first BRDG Park building has created nearly 400 construction jobs and is expected to generate 350 permanent, full-time jobs.

“The BRDG Park is creating high-tech, high-growth and high-pay jobs that diversify our employment base,” Dooley said.

“They will benefit from their close proximity to the research scientists and institutions, and help ensure that the St. Louis region captures the economic benefits of our established scientific leadership.”

Sam J. Fiorello, chief operating officer of the Danforth Center, said the project “represents visible and dramatic progress toward the Danforth Center’s goal of enhancing our region as a world center for plant and life sciences.”

The BRDG Park and Danforth Center are also working with St. Louis Community College to create a program that would train future employees for careers in life science companies.

Founded in 1998, Danforth Center’s mission is to improve the human condition through plant science. Its scientists strive for the goals of feeding the hungry and improving human health and preserving and renewing the environment.

A decade later, the public is invited to visit the center on Sept. 28 to tour labs and greenhouses, meet top scientists from around the world, participate in scientific activities and enjoy international food and entertainment.

The event will kick off with a ribbon cutting for the center’s second greenhouse facility - a $5.25 million structure that more than doubles the center’s greenhouse capacity. Guests can also join in a “human ribbon” to be “cut” by Board Chairman William H. Danforth to officially start the festivities.

“Successes from our science will help to provide food where it is needed most critically,” said Danforth.

“We like to think that our center will be a gift to St. Louis as we and our partners help to make our region the world center for plant science and the work here in St. Louis will be a gift to the wide world.”

The birthday party will include a children’s village named “Mini-Makerere” in honor of the center’s partnership with Makerere University in Kampala, Uganda. Youths can engage in art, music, literature as well as hands-on science activities. Children will have the chance to work alongside scientists and volunteers, conducting simple experiments, making international crafts and learning games from around the world.

Guests can also sample cassava - the staple crop of Sub-Saharan Africa eaten by 700 million people around the world - as well as Missouri corn. They can also participate in a honey tasting created especially for the event by the Eastern Missouri Beekeepers Association. A bee colony will also be available for viewing through glass.

The birthday party will continue with more than 40 activities throughout the day including:

A “Duck Derby” to be held in the center’s Kemper Reflecting Pool;
Presentations by center scientists and the science gurus from the highly regarded children’s program “Mad Science”;
A closing performance by an ensemble from the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra.