By: Denise Yuki
HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - Le Jardin
Academy's first grade students got their hands dirty for the sake of education
and sustainability Friday, during the grand opening of its Aqua-Hydroponic
Center.
The center features a co-dependent
ecosystem that includes tilapia, crayfish and taro, whose roots the crayfish
feed on. It will function to serve many purposes throughout the school, from
science lessons to nourishment (the fish and some of the vegetation will be
incorporated into some of the school's lunches).
"What they (the students)
gain is an insight as to how you can create a real sort of self-sustaining
unit. Something that really takes advantage of each component to sustain the
other," said Headmaster Adrian Allan.
"I think if we can instill that in them, we've come a long way in
helping them to create a more sustainable world."
"The classroom is
essential, but outside they can have a more organic learning experience, along
with the structure of the classroom," said music teacher and the center's
cultivator, Micah Hirokawa.
School officials say that the
center was built to not only educate young minds, but to also perpetuate the
spirit of lifelong learning.
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