Climbing to the top

Hilltop Garden and Nature Center, a little known corner of campus, is on its way to having a big makeover.\nStarted in 1948 as an innovative “summer camp” for 7- to 11-year-olds to learn about gardening, Hilltop has failed to keep up with the times. \nBut Greg Speichert, Hilltop’s new director, is ready to bring it up to speed, and he’s already working on ways to improve the center.\nSpeichert said in the past, Hilltop has been relevant only to a few kids who needed something to do in the summer. Now he hopes to expand that relevancy to all students at IU, as well members of the Bloomington community. Speichert looks forward to Hilltop being a place for students to develop their own passions and to connect with the community. Potential events include a kite day and a tomato festival.