Aquaculture and Aquatic Ecosystem Science
Using a modeled aquatic ecosystem, this module will demonstrate the relationships between the biological, chemical, and physical components of an aquatic ecosystem and its inhabitants. The model ecosystem will be contained within a greenhouse and will consist of a series of tanks filled with re-circulating water. Each tank will represent a different type of freshwater aquatic environment, such as a pond, stream habitat, or wetland, and will contain an array of organisms found in each of those ecotypes. Wastes produced by fish living in the tanks will be converted by the activity of microorganisms into nutrients for plants co-habitating the mesocosm. By studying and interacting with this simulated ecosystem, students will develop an awareness of nutrient cycling and contaminant transport in aquatic environments, as well as the role of sewage and agricultural runoff in the eutrophication of bodies of water. Additional related topics to be reviewed include fish biology, the hydrological cycle, the importance of watersheds, aquatic invertebrate’s function as indicators of ecosystem health, and the connection between the health of local aquatic environments and drinking water quality. Small scale aquaculture’s potential as a sustainable alternative to the depletion of global fisheries and its promise as a “green” urban micro-industry will also be discussed.
Waste
This module explores how common organic waste products can be converted into soil, energy sources, and feed stocks for animals. Class participants will learn the basics of home-scale backyard composting, such as determining the proper balances and sources of carbon and nitrogen. Students will witness and interact with a worm composting system that converts food wastes into a nutrient rich fertilizer which improves soil quality and can be used in the remediation of soil-based toxins. Additionally, an opportunity will be given to observe a black soldier fly composting unit, which rapidly converts putrescent wastes, such as meat and dairy, into compost and produces insect larvae as a feed for chickens and fish. Larger discussions will be incorporated that examine problems with conventional waste disposal, and how organic waste buried in landfills contributes to greenhouse gas emissions.
Energy
This module will take a critical look at global energy issues and assess the pros and cons of conventional and alternative energy sources. Emphasis will be placed on renewable, non-polluting, and locally producible energy sources, such as solar, wind, and biofuels. Functioning examples of each of these technologies will be on display, including a passive solar oven, wind turbines, waste vegetable oil burning motor vehicles, small scale biogas digesters, and technologies that efficiently and cleanly use wood for heating and power generation. The idea that technologies may either be environmentally harmful or benign depending on their use, scale, and context will be stressed. Additionally, the causes and impacts of global climate change will be discussed, particularly within the context of energy use decisions. Furthermore, students will become familiar with such critical concepts as carbon neutral and carbon negative energy strategies.
Sustainable Food Systems
This module will cover issues of local sustainable food production, including methods for raising vegetables, mushrooms, and small livestock. An emphasis will be put on creating intensive, small scale food production systems that can be carried out with limited access to space. Broader issues of food security and nutrition will be integrated into the discussion.
Students will learn the basics of small scale animal husbandry, including feeding, cleaning, and sheltering chickens, rabbits, and goats. The use of easily accessible waste products as feed stocks and the appropriate integration of animals into an urban environment will be examined.
Students will also learn about the fungal kingdom and the ecological significance of fungi in the environment, particularly their role in waste reduction and nutrient cycling. Mushroom’s potential to turn waste products into valuable protein sources through fungi’s metabolic processes, and the role fungi can play in the remediation of toxins will be covered. As part of this class, students will inoculate a straw-filled bag with oyster mushrooms, a common edible mushroom species, which afterwards they can bring back to their own classroom to watch grow.
In addition, organic vegetable gardens and a functioning rainwater collection system for use in conjunction with food production will be displayed. Students will become aware of the impacts of soil erosion and the importance of good soil conservation practices. Class participants will become familiar with the concept of brownfields and possibilities for remediation and reuse of brownfields for urban food production.
