Gay Leigh Bingham, who owns a ranch in Texas, America, came to the WEEC to talk about Aquaponics and how she uses them as a teaching method in the school she works at. She explained how they work, their effect and how they could be used in a sustainable future.

Aquaponics, on a basic level, are cultivating systems. They combine aquaculture, which cultivates fish, and hydroponics, which cultivates plants in water. The way they work, as Leigh Bingham explained, is that the fish create waste, this waste goes through certain chemical reactions which releases nutrients, which in turn aid the plants to grow. This cycle therefore creates a sustainable and efficient food system.

This is because it requires very little care, there is no need to worry about too little or too much water, or how much fertilizer is needed. Leigh Bingham, to explain this, gave the example of her home state Texas, where conventional farming is very inefficient and can produce a lot of waste. This is because the summers in Texas are so hot, that the water evaporates before being able to soak into the soil. As well as this, huge amounts of fertilizer must be used to secure the crops grow, which can be quite harmful to certain species. With this aquaponics system however, these issues are avoided.

Not only does this system enforce sustainable farming, but it can also teach kids environmental sustainability while simultaneously learning other school subjects through having a fun, hand on experience.

Leigh Bingham works with kids of all ages in the school where she lives. There, they learn how the aquaponics system works and how to take care of it. The kids learn about all the areas of science, things like ecosystems, fluid dynamics, Ph levels and other subjects like social studies, when she connects the system to historical structures like the gardens of Babylon. Moreover, after every session she asks them to reflect on what they have learnt. This helps them with their English learning, she explained.

Bingham believes this is a great way of getting kids outdoors, in nature, while also learning about environmental sustainability. She claims it also gives a sense of the importance of food to children; from how it is grown till when it is delivered to their plate. Bingham hopes that more schools and educators will use this programme in schools to help teach kids about sustainable farming, and also to aid students in their traditional academic learning.

If you have any questions on Aquaponics or how it can help children learn, please contact Bingham on brokenbowranch@gmail.com. She is happy to send all types of information.

Farming has never really been an interest of mine, but I do understand its importance for a sustainable world. I have watched many documentaries which show that the agricultural industry is the top contributor to global warming, whether it be from clearing fields for cattle food, or for simply growing human crops. It is definitely a prominent issue in the quest for a greener world.

I think it is brilliant that people like Leigh Bingham are trying to enforce more efficient and sustainable farming methods, so, for the new generation, the world can be a much greener place. Overall I found it very interesting how Ms Bingham connected the project to the kids and how she enabled them to learn about very serious topics, in a more fun way compared to the usual, traditional setting. I would be interested to see how her project grows in her school, especially in terms of her wanting to put the food the schools produces into their school cafeteria.

Emma Hindle (16)
Young Reporters for the Environment in Sweden
WEEC, Gothenburg
01/07/15

COP 24, Katowice, Poland

COP 24, Katowice, Poland

COP 24, Katowice, Poland