Our newest edition.

Our "aquaponics" team is a newer addition to our projects. It is a combination of two teams that each had big ideas, who joined together to make one, big super idea. While Jeremiah and Lops (the team working on the solar roof concept) are still working part-time on their idea, they have bonded with the ever so eco-friendly bio-naut, Shenesea,who had an idea that would intrigue their interest. She built off of an idea Clearman had called "Goldfish Tomatoes". It involves a fish tank, tomato plants, and a system to connect the two. Apparently, fish tank water has all sorts of nutrients, such as fish poop. Those nutrients would somehow get to the tomato plants and nurish them and allow them to grow to be really heathly. When gardening, you have to buy the soil, the seeds, the fertilizers, the chemicals to make it grow, and all of the other extra time, money, and non-ecofriendly products. Shenesea loved the idea, but she wanted more, so she came up with this: while still using Clearman's idea, she essentially created a self-sustaining, mini ecosystem. With that, she, Jeremiah and Lops joined together to fulfill this,and have done well so far. The idea is that the fish will eventually grow and breed, which will create more nutrients for the plants in the water. The extra stuff you would have to buy for gardening would pretty much be obsolete, minus the soil and the seeds. It is better the environment and will save you money. This, my friends, you CAN try at home! Big thanks to Last Stand and Mimi Stafford, who helped with the funding of this project.  They donated $1,000 to the AEC, and we are very grateful.  More aquaponics coming soon!

The mini ecosystem that the "aquaponics" team has created. You can see it in the photo, but there is a hose from the fish tank to the blue box above it. That is where the plant resides.  This project is from the 5th/6th period class, and belongs to Victoria Albury and Danielle Mariscal.

The tomato plant inside the blue box. It's doing well!