Lights, waterfalls and fake foliage brought one student group's dream to life on Wednesday.

A model of the proposed student greenhouse project was on display Wednesday in the Union.

The model featured running water, working lights and detailed pathways of a biodome to grab the attention of students passing by.

"There's a need for a public greenhouse on campus," education junior Zac Oppenheim said. "A place where people can go and enjoy nature 12 months out of the year."

The Student Greenhouse Project began in 1997 and aims to build a greenhouse independent of any department for the public to enjoy.

The proposed full-scale design is a 100-foot diameter dome that is 46 feet tall. The group proposes placing it behind the Old Horticulture Building. The plan includes a study room with Ethernet connection, a waterfall, a performance area and a variety of plants.

"This event is to raise awareness because the wheels of the university turn very slowly," botany and plant pathology junior Phillip Kurzeja said. "We're not raising money, we're just trying to get everyone to understand that this is still going on."

A site has not formally been named and the administration has yet to approve the project, Campus Park and Planning Director Jeff Kacos said. Donors to the project might be under the impression that it is university sponsored, he added.

"This is an idea shared by a small group," Kacos said.

The third proposal for the plan should be ready to present to the administration after spring break, Student Greenhouse Project Director Philip Lamoureux said.

The last proposal was turned away by university officials with suggestions to improve the plan, including budgeting a way to finance the facilities and adding a second layer to the dome to conserve heat, Lamoureux said.

The projected cost of the dome is $1 million, a "small cost for a big reward," Oppenheim said.

The project would be funded and maintained using private donations.

"The university is not going to give us a dime for this," Kurzeja said. "We have to do it ourselves."

Zoology junior Chris Trepanowski took a look at the plan between classes.

"It'd be nice to study there in the middle of the winter," he said. "I have two hours in between classes and I have to come here because it's too cold outside."

For more information on the Student Greenhouse Project, visit its Web site at www.greenhouse2001.msu.edu.