A Honolulu school is using the outdoors as a classroom.
Students at Mid-Pacific Institute have the chance to learn about the environment, marketing and much more.
The students are feeding the fish and netting them with good reason.
It’s all part of an aquaponics program on a small plot of land in the back of the school.
Why do the students sign up for this elective course?
"It’s different because it’s very hands on and we get work on the plants and the fish, not just like classwork – that’s why we like it,” said Natsumo Mori.
Fish and plants? How do they fit together in this aquaponics course.
"They swim around in the water and they eat the food that we provide for them and they exit the body and so the poop is used to turn into nitrates which feed the plants,” said Courtney Kemmler.
The fish are doing their part but there is another reason the students are attracted to the appeal of aquaponics.
"We save a lot of water because we don’t use as much water as traditional farming,” said Kemmler.
Instructor Gregg Kaneko has several goals for the course but one is very clear.
"My main goal for this course is that after this class, students can go home and start their own aquaponics system and I’ve had several students do that already,” said Gregg Kaneko.
No matter what their long term goals might be, the students find the class valuable. Chandelle wants to be an engineer.
"Well, I get to learn different things and it’s more hands on so I get to see what it’s like to oversee different projects and for engineering you get to do a lot of that,” said Chandelle Kanetoku.
See the original article at: KHON2 Local News
