Dakota Baker, a fifth-grader at Belle Terre Elementary School, showed off her class' growing energy garden on Friday.
The garden is adjacent to the school’s large — and loud — air conditioning units.
One little tidbit Dakota stresses? "Up here, we use dead fish to fertilize," she said.
Dakota, her classmates and their teacher, Ed Wolff, are using aquaponics — tying tilapia in the tanks with rain barrels — to grow plants and vegetables.
Solar wind and power help run the lights and cameras where the students can see how the garden is growing from inside their classroom.
The garden might seem simple, but it also ignites a learning passion within the students.
"The biggest problem is ... what am I going to do with this when I learn it," said Wolfe, who is the reigning Teacher of the Year in Flagler County. "So, I want to show them."
Wolff has received grants from Florida Power & Light for the last three years. He has used that money to expand the growing energy garden.
"With Ed doing this type of work, it really gets the kids excited using hands-on experiences with different types of energy," said Larry Volenec, of Florida Power & Light.
It's paying off, too. Perhaps the approach is if you teach a student to fish, they'll create a garden.
"I've had parents come to me and say, 'How do we develop that aquaponics out there?'" Wolff said. "I tell them (to) ask (their) kids. And they look at me and go, 'Oh, OK.'"
