Schools across the country are now signing up to build their own aquaponic eco-gardens. Get Involved Growing Aquaponic fish and lettuce at your school
Recipe4life works by us linking local schools with our projects in the developing world.
By doing this we are able to provide long term partners able to support these initiatives whilst also helping teachers to make the nitrogen cycle more interesting.
In many cases we have been able to provide free advice and equipment (subject to availability) showing how aquaponics can change the way we grow food and try to help change the lives of children in the developing world.
Aquaponics, the combination of aquaculture (growing fish) and hydroponic (growing soilless plants) that mutually benefits both environments. Aquaponics uses no chemicals, requires 10% of the water needed for field plant production. In aquaponics the waste from fish tanks is treated with natural bacteria that converts the waste, largely ammonia, first to nitrite and then to nitrate.
Share the Knowledge! Feed the world.
We now work with many schools local schools who have been so enthusiastic about the project we are hoping to make aquaponics tanks and lesson plans available nationally.
In return, we would be asking for a commitment to the GroTec project. Our long term aim is to work to introduce Hydroponics and Aquaponics into as many places as possible in the developing world and integrate these new techniques with local and traditional farming methods. Alongside using our expertise to investigate the possibility of developing a Hydroponic or Aquaponic feed that can be produced from local natural resources and waste products enabling the orphanages, schools and similar institutions to become more self sufficient. We hope by teaching the children new growing techniques enabling them to become self sufficient and sustain themselves and their families for the future and passing on the knowledge to others in their communities.
Ecology the study of "All togetherness of everything" or "the interdependence of plants, animals and their environment". Ecological accountability and sustainable living are a vital part of living in the 21st Century, and therefore it is important to include these ideas into education of the adults of the future.
Exploring Hydroponics from an ecological starting point enables us to
encompass many areas of the National Curriculum. It helps children and
young people to form an integrated understanding of how hydroponics can
contribute to the stabilisation of the world ecosystems. In particular
it can show how the developing world can be taught to use hydroponics to
enable them to become self-sufficient.
Hydroponics4life aspires to integrate knowledge of the methods and usage of hydroponics and aquaponics into the curriculum of UK schools. By doing this we hope to raise awareness of the need for third world countries to become self sufficient in their own food production. To do this hydroponics4life has produced the Recipe4life with an aim to 'share the knowledge and feed the world'.
By integrating aquaponics into education we can make a combined effort to share the knowledge and feed the world. If we can achieve this we will be able to support projects all over the world and help them gain the know how to sustain and feed themselves.
A more exciting way to look at growth in plants using aeroponics to enable experiments to take place at an accelerated rate and tests to be performed within the classroom and cover the basic principals
Incorporates: Plant cells Photosynthesis co2 H20 chlorophyll production temperature humidity electrical conductivity nutrient analysis, pH, seed germination plant stresses.
Activity :- Set up an aquaponics system and plant seeds for germination create your own indoor growing.
Taking a deeper took into the reason for plants and how and why they reproduce in their various environments and the devastating potential of disturbing the natural balance.
Explores: Forced germination, cross pollination, pesticides, using hydroponics to turn barren land into farms and allowing small communities to become self sufficient.
Activity :- Take cuttings and plant next to seeds. Get involved with the Cambodia project and how choosing the right plants is essential.
Investigating the amazing regeneration of plants and their ability to be cloned bonsaied and supercharged.
Explores the effects of Auxins Giberellins cytokinins ethylene abscisic acid
Activity:- See how cut plant repair themselves investigate why they grow towards the light and how breakages and movement can strengthen your plants.
Alternative look at selective breeding, GM crops and time old farming techniques combined with the latest advances in science.
Incorporates: Plant cells Photosynthesis co2 H20 chlorophyll production temperature humidity electrical conductivity nutrient analysis, pH, seed germination plant stresses.
Activity :- Set up an aquaponics system and plant seeds for germination create your own indoor growing
We can use the waste we create every day to sustain ourselves indefinitely by recycling. Using aquaponics to demonstrate how your own eco system will allow us to live without leaving footprints in carbon.
Looks at how integrated science allows extracing exactly what we need from nature in a way that it is of benefit to the natural cycle so we no longer have to use dangerous farming and fishing techniques.
Activity:- Build your own wormery create fish food and plant food from your waste make a small wind turbine to power your pump (optional see physics section).
Explores natural alternatives to manufactured feeds and pesticides and demonstrates the use of biodiversity interdependence and natural medicines.
Explores natural alternatives to manufactured feeds and pesticides and demonstrates the use of biodiversity interdependence and natural medicine.
Activity:- Take the plants from the aquaponics propagator and place them in the vertical grow behind take cuttings from them and place them in the propagation tank.
Challenging some of the methods that have become acceptable over the years and highlighting the need for change.
Explores alternatives to harmful additives and preservatives feeds and pesticides that plants are routinely subject to during there life cycle, unnecessary overfishing methods that are still accepted today and demonstrated the alternatives.
Activity:- Feed the fish some worms put some of the liquid at the top of your vertical grow.
And our continued ignorance adds to the devastating effects of the rainforests and other natural habitats, destroying unknown species and medicinal plants.
Explores the destruction of Peat bogs wetlands, rainforest Norfolk broads and eutrophication control and prevention along with coppicing reforestation.
Activity :- Balancing the nitrates creating an ecosystem Building a bio shelter.
We are running out of time to save the planet, the time for planning is gone the time for action is now.
Explores Pollution prevention harmful and beneficial light, renewable energy, innercity growing, vertical growing and the climate summit.
Activity :- Vertical grows, bio systems, carbon counteraction, Ozone generation.
With the ever growing increase in the world's population we need some answers to the questions and solutions to the problems but most of all a positive attitude because by changing our thinking we can change the world.
Further Explores bio shelters and expands into growing in outer space, interdependency, shopping local, self production and sustainability.
Activity :- Build your own bioshelter become more eco aware.
Please contact us if you require information on how any of the above can be linked into your regular lesson plans.
If you are involved in teaching and you encounter other areas where the aquaponics propagation tank is useful or have ideas for lesson plans based on any of the above we would love to hear from you.
