Wellington Aquaponics: An Environmental Success Story

Where does our food come from? How is it produced? How will we be able to feed a hungry, growing planet full of people? These were questions raised by the members of the Wellington Secondary Environment Club almost 4 years ago. And the progress made in that time has gone beyond even the founders’ expectations.

Known as the Wellington Aquaponics Project, the club’s goal was to grow fish and plants together in a closed ecosystem.  This process, known as aquaponics, takes the best from hydroponics and aquaculture and combines them —  fish waste is cycled to plants, which extract the nutrients and clean the once dirty water for the fish to reuse. Since it is constantly recycling materials, this process produces zero waste and uses far less water than its predecessors.  The concept was taken one step further when students decided to also combine aquaponics with vertical gardening, and grow the plants for the system on one of their school’s courtyard walls. Thanks to two Green CommUnity School Grants from the World Wildlife Fund, Wellington Aquaponics Project is turning into a multiwall garden of sedums, strawberries and healthy fish. Now, the group has set their sights on an even bigger prize: worldwide recognition. Recently the club has made it to the final voting round in a public contest by CoalitionWILD, an organization aimed at helping young people create a wilder world. The most supported projects will gain mentorship from international movement leaders or a grant to provide financial support to further their idea.
Supporting their project is simple: visit CoalitionWILD on Facebook and vote for the video titled the Wellington Secondary Green Wall project (look for the picture of the big black tank and gravel bed!) before September 15^th.   Together, with your help, the Wellington Secondary Environment Club hopes to create positive environmental change for our world!