Students at Watson Chapel Junior High School participated in a session on aquaponics systems and the importance of healthy eating.
Associate Professor Karleah Harris of the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff Department of Human Sciences, and Kailash Bohara, Extension specialist in the Department of Aquaculture and Fisheries, recently led the session, according to the newsletter from the UAPB School of Agriculture, Fisheries and Human Sciences.
“Aquaponics is a system where plants and fish are grown in the same water tanks,” Harris said. “The waste from the fish provides essential nutrients to the plants. Aquaponics systems are convenient solutions for schools or households because they can be set up and maintained indoors.”
During the lesson, students explored the various plants thriving in their school’s aquaponics system — mustard and turnip greens, onions, lettuce, tabasco peppers, strawberries, beets and spearmint.
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They also had the opportunity to harvest channel catfish from the system, gaining hands-on experience with sustainable agriculture and food production practices.
This interactive lesson aimed to provide students with valuable insights into sustainable farming methods while also encouraging healthy eating habits through an understanding of locally grown produce, according to the newsletter.
UAPB Extension specialist Kailash Bohara (left) and Associate Professor Karleah Harris (second from left) taught Watson Chapel Junior High School students about the aquaponics system that allows plants and fish to grow in the same tank. (Special to The Commercial/University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff)