Passing On An Ethos of Sustainability

Passing On An Ethos of Sustainability
Passing On An Ethos of Sustainability
Passing On An Ethos of Sustainability

Chances are that you have passed by the Kemmerer Family Greenhouse over the past few months. Maybe you've seen the bright green lettuce or basil leaves waving at you or heard the hum of the aquaponics system. Built in 2016, the greenhouse was designed to be use less energy and be sustainable. It was created to serve as space for students to engage in hands-on learning and to study the role food plays in sustainability. Just last spring, the final piece of the puzzle was completed—the aquaponics system. This student-led project began in January, 2019 as an independent project headed by then-juniors Elle Mann and Fletcher Stumph. We sat down with Elle and Fletcher (with a little input from Envi Sci teacher Scott Runkel) as they head into their final chapter of Sun Valley Community School and how they’re teaching the next generation about the joys and necessity of sustainability.

How did the project begin? 

Elle: Fletcher and I wanted a hands-on science experience in the greenhouse and that was not offered by our science program in the winter. The school gave us the opportunity to help construct and run an aquaponics system in our greenhouse. We care about the environment and sustainability, and we recognize aquaponics as a sustainable system of growing food. 

Fletcher: Elle first came to me with the idea of creating an aquaponics system in the Kemmerer Family Greenhouse just as we started our winter term junior year. The Independent Study contract was late, but it still got approved because of the potential the project had. I dropped international relations and immediately picked up Aquaponics. We started to construct the system with Terry Town (see below). He guided us through building it and how the plumbing works. After it was all done, Elle and I began to shop for fish and food. When the system was finally full and ready to run we became more involved with the education of others. For example, right now we are managing the system, but also teaching younger kids about the system. We wanted to engage with younger kids so they grow up and are interested in pursuing sustainable agriculture.

The aquaponics system was completed at the end of March, 2019. After the completion of plumbing, viewing window installation, and leak management, the system was cycled to promote the growth of the bacteria needed to turn fish waste into plant food. On April 25, the class drove to Buhl, Idaho, to the First Ascent Fish Farm to learn about how they cared for their tilapia. The owner, Don Campbell, generously donated the school 75 young tilapia averaging 60 grams each.

Scott: We got Blue Nile tilapia or descents from that stock since First Ascent has done some breeding with other varieties of tilapia. The first big steps were purchasing the system from The Sage School and enlisting the help of Terry Town, a local aquaponics expert, to help us with the planning and installation. Window installation in the fish tanks followed to make it easier to see fish. Permits were also procured from Fish and Game to grow live fish. And we learned how to run the system and test the water.

Elle: One of our main goals is to spread the use of aquaponics systems throughout our school and eventually our valley. We want to encourage future generations to use a more sustainable sources for food and gardening in order to reduce the waste of resources. Another goal of ours is to help provide food for our farm-to-table school lunch program here on campus, Cutthroat Cafe. We hope to eventually provide more and more of the food for Cutthroat Cafe. 

Recently, you worked with ES Science teacher Hannes Thum ‘03 and the 2nd grade class. Tell us what you hope to teach them, and how, and why you believe it's important to do this?

Fletcher: It is important for kids to learn about sustainable agriculture so that they might employ it in the future. We want to teach them the basics of the aquaponics system and how it works so that they have an idea about what it does. As they grow up, the hope is that they continue to engage with aquaponics and environmentally friendly ways of farming.

Any reflections about the project? 

Elle: When we first had the idea to build an aquaponics system, it seemed like it would be hard, but we could have never imagined the number of problems we ran into or the amount of time it would take to complete the system. Right away, we encountered our first unexpected obstacle. It’s one thing to get a new system, which would be ready to go, but it’s something entirely different to start and older system. Before we could even set it up, we had to clean all the tanks, which took two weeks of scrubbing for hours each day. You cannot imagine how painful it is to squat for two hours, hunched inside a huge plastic tank, scrubbing! Your back will never forgive you. 

After this introduction, we were less surprised over the coming months when we encountered, again and again, unexpected setbacks. Between installing windows in the tanks and dealing with shipping problems, we patched leaks and corrected our many mistakes. The work moved slowly. It took a full three months, during and after school, to simply be ready to fill the 1,500-gallon system. Once filled, one of the most challenging tasks was getting the pH, ammonia and nitrite levels right. A mistake here could be deadly for fish, so although this was complicated and tedious, it was critical. 

When we finally had the plants planted, tilapia in the tanks, and the water quality stabilized, it was one of the most rewarding feelings I have ever felt. Every time I walked into the greenhouse, it was hard not to smile. When the lettuce and the fish went to the lunch program for the first time, I believe that that was when we knew all of our hard work was worth it and we were actually helping our school be more sustainable.  

This year, it has been very rewarding to work with the 2nd grade. We have been teaching them about the aquaponics system around every week or every other week. They are always so excited and eager to learn about everything we teach them. For me the best part about teaching them is being able to inspire a younger generation about something I am so passionate about. 

We would like to thank the school for funding our project and making it possible and Tift Mann for donating money for an alert system and rafts. We would like to also think Terry Town for helping us with the plumbing of the system and teaching us everything you know about aquaponics. Most of all we would also like to thank Scott Runkel for being our mentor and helping us keep on schedule. 

Scott: Above all, the project is the result of hard work, the students' passion, and dedication. Every day we feed the fish twice a day, test the levels of pH, ammonia, nitrite, water and room temperatures, and we log the results. Currently, we plant and then transfer plants into the system, including lettuce and basil. We also have to drain and clean clarifiers twice a week. It's definitely a labor of love.
 

What are your hopes for the Greenhouse after you graduate in May? 

Elle: We just hope that the system keeps running smoothly and the other students take on the project passionately. 

The project was generously made possible by donations from the Mann family, school fundraising, and a departmental budget. Additional thanks to Terry Town, Billy Mann, and Trent Stumph for their time to the project.