EcoVision

Ecole Lacombe Composite High School

Everything EcoVision strives to enhance : 1) The Environment 2) Education 3) Our Community YouTube

 OCT 5, 2013 - The greenhouse grand opening.

Recycling of cardboard, paper & cans Installation of a 6.0 kW solar system

 4x time winner of BP A+ for Energy award. Winner of the 2012 EcoCanada Green Certificate. Winner of the Fuelling Change Contest Emerald Award Finalist in 2011 & 2012 Winner of the EcoCanada Video Contest Winner of the 2012 Action Hero Award Winner of the 2012 Environmental Artworks

Earth making Video

 Fundraised 2007 - 2010 Installed in June of 2010 Began producing electricity in Sept, 2010.

Last year, art students designed these earth buckets and planted flowers.

program designed for educators to teach students about plant growth, development and nutrition.

 The Urban cultivator We compost food is a machine used to scraps and paper grow herbs. Our towels from the school uses the herbs cafeteria and foods in our cafeteria, and classes. sells them locally.

 L.E.A.F.S. stands for Lacombe Educational Aquaponics Foods System Currently, our project is developing an aquapoics fish system inside our greenhouse. We will raise Tilapia and vegetables for our cafeteria and community.

Purpose of LEAFS
Lower

our ecological footprint by:

growing our own pesticide free food Reducing greenhouse emissions from transport Reducing the impact on the Battle River watershed Conserving water and recycling waste

Enhance

Educational Opportunities through project based learning and leadership opportunities. Increase Community Collaboration Opportunities through courses, partnerships and joint use & responsibility of the facilities.

 Aquaponics

is a system for farming fish and plants together Fish produce waste that is great fertilizer for plants. The plants & bacteria purify the water

Plants growing on barrels

Growing barrels

 There

will be 6 racks, each holding 2 - barrels. Each barrel will have rafts, for plants to grow. Under each rack, a barrel will be stocked with Tilapia fish. The fish waste will be mineralized & returned to the barrels.
Racks supporting the barrels Barrels where plants will be grown

Barrel Half where plants will be grown.

 Sludge

is collected and pumped to an oxygen enriched bio-digester. Aerobic bacteria break down the solid sludge Two different strains of bacteria are required to break the ammonia down into nitrites and then nitrates. Mineralized water is oxygenated and the plants flourish. The water is refreshed by plants and then pumped back to the Talapia.

 The

system has a high bacteria count. We need to develop more growing capacity to maintain fish in a big tank and filter the tank effectively. Lowlight means we need to supplement with grow lights.

constant pH of 6.5 needs to be maintained. The plants need to isolated from the fish A small generator is needed for back up Ammonia, oxygen, and temperature levels need to be monitored. A fish feeding regime needs to be created.

 To

increase the number of fish and vegetables for the cafeteria & micro-businesses. To use the large tank to hold fish and repurpose the barrel system for breeding, rearing and weaning. To introduce a new crosscurricular course called agro-business