Floating Aquaponics Greenhouse Planned for Fairyland Elementary
Three years ago, Fairyland Elementary School was challenged to go where no school has gone before. And when the project is done, it will look like something straight out of a sci-fi novel.
The idea was for the first-known floating aquaponics greenhouse, pitched by HATponics CEO Ryan Cox and John Parker, formerly with Walker County School’s central office. The project immediately appealed to FES Principal Jeremy Roerdink, who is always interested in creating more STEAM opportunities for his students.
"While we’re ranked in the top 6 percent of all public elementary schools in GA, we can’t become complacent,” he says. “I’m always looking to improve, and STEAM was an area we needed to improve in."
STEAM stands for science, technology, engineering, art and math. Nationwide there’s a push to expose more students to these fundamentals to help supply the projected 9 million STEAM jobs available by 2020. For Walker County, that has translated into numerous agriculturally related projects, including aquaponics.
What it boils down to is innovation,” says Roerdink. “We want to give kids a learning space to create, but more importantly to fail. Thomas Edison invented the lightbulb on the 1,000th try. Doing research means being allowed to fail.
Students will not only help grow organic strawberries and tomatoes they will also market and sell them locally, with proceeds going toward raising awareness of hunger. Every step of the way, students will be learning classroom fundamentals in very real-world scenarios.
They will use science to determine ideal growing conditions and troubleshoot problems such as fluctuating pH levels in the water. Art will be incorporated when creating branding materials and students will apply math and analytical thinking skills as they develop a business plan. They’ll also learn about philanthropy as they decide exactly what to do with the money they earn from sales.
We want the kids to make these important decisions,” says Roerdink. “It’s about getting them out of the classroom and helping them see the bigger picture.
The greenhouse will feature a domed top, with four holding tanks in the bottom for fish and tiered growing pots above. Water is cycled throughout, with the fish waste fertilizing the plants, and the plant roots filtering the water before it returns to the tanks below. The entire system is enclosed and self-sustaining.
The dome is being built by Pacific Dome Company, who contracts with such companies as NASA and NorthFace. According to the company website, their domes are the “strongest structure known to man” and can withstand winds up to 280 miles per hour. They’re equally sophisticated; featuring climate controls such as solar heat in the winter and solar-powered fans with windows that automatically open in the summer. There will be cameras installed throughout, so students can keep an eye on things from the classroom.
The greenhouse will not completely change the area. The floating dock, built by local company Dr. Dock, will feature external platforms so students can still fish in the pond. A landscaping plan has also been developed to alleviate any residents’ concerns over the aesthetics of the structure.
All of this innovation comes with a hefty price tag. The total bill stands at $150,000 - $75,000 for the dock, $35,000 for the greenhouse and $40,000 for technology and supplies. To date, FES has raised $40,000 from their Music on the Mountain event, a recent “Driven to Give” fundraiser and numerous private and public donors.
They’ve also posted the project to Crowdrise.com, the world’s #1 fundraising site, and will launch a brick campaign next month. Roerdink is exploring the possibility of a matching campaign, and a parent is helping write applications for numerous grants. They will also be reaching out to potential local benefactors with one-to-one donor presentations.
Once built, the greenhouse will be completely “staffed” by current teachers and students. Teacher “champions” so far include Ms. Catanzaro (2nd grade) and Ms. Giddens (5th grade). Ridgeland High School, who launched their aquaponics program in 2012, will also help train teachers as the program gets up and running.
At first it will be baby steps; maybe a couple of lessons a month,” says Roerdink. “Ultimately we might open it to the community for other schools or home schoolers. It will be a really unique space and something that should be offered to all kids – it’s that cool.
Fairyland Elementary plans to break ground in March 2017, with a fundraising goal of $60,000 for Phase 1 (the dock). For more information, visit Crowdrise
