New Greenhouse Manager a "Natural"

Lynn Janik brings a lifetime of gardening to her job

Lynn Janik joined our department last spring and has been working hard all summer to get the four Biology greenhouses ready for Fall semester.  The greenhouses contain a remarkable diversity of plants used for courses, student-faculty collaborative research projects, and educational outreach.  “Managing the greenhouses is a lot of work, but I love it,” says Lynn. 

Lynn Janik points out some of the floral diversity in one Biology's four greenhouses. Below are two of her favorite plants, the smelly "Carrion Plant" (Stapelia sp. - note the fly maggots near center), and a more pleasingly fragrant yellow orchid.

Lynn grew up in the Cascade foothills of Washington State.  Her family home was situated on a secluded lake, with old growth cedar and the Cascade Mountains on the horizon.  “My favorite thing to do was to hike in the mountains and look at the vegetation,” she says.  The lake and surrounding landscape were filled with all sorts of native fauna and flora and perfect for an exploring child who was curious about nature.  “I’m a very visual person,” she says, “that’s what drew me to plants.”  Lynn studied biology at Seattle University, and after earning a B.S., studied plant ecology and animal behavior at the University of Wisconsin in Milwaukee.  There she met her future husband – Biology professor Dan Janik – and the next years brought a lot of travel, including stays in Bavaria (Germany) and Toronto, and saw the raising of two sons.  During that time Lynn had several jobs, including animal facilities manager in Oregon, Butterfly House Coordinator at Beaver Creek Reserve, and research technician at UWEC in circadian rhythms.  Lynn concedes that managing the greenhouses is “overwhelming” at times, but it also provides deep satisfaction. “I’ve gardened all my life, says Janik, “it reconnects me with nature.”