UW Aquaponics was created in 2010 as the University of Waterloo’s first aquaponics design team and as one of Southern Ontario’s only post-secondary school aquaponics teams. Aquaponics is a closed-loop food production system which uses the natural symbiosis of plants and aquatic life to produce both plants and fish as an efficient and consistent food source. In short: the fish waste creates nitrogen rich nutrients for the plants, which in turn filter the water for the fish by absorbing and removing the nutrients from the water. This allows both the fish and plants to thrive off of minimal external input and to continuously clean and recycle the water in the system. The goal of UW Aquaponics is to explore aquaponics as a means to produce sustainable local food and to educate others on sustainable food systems within Waterloo Region and beyond. The group has one operating aquaponic system that can be found on the first floor of Engineering 5. System 2 is in construction and is to be completed by the end of this term.
On March 8 of this term, UW Aquaponics will be hosting the “Growing Food for Thought” Workshop. This is the team’s second annual aquaponic workshop which will bring together industry professionals and students to network and share knowledge about aquaponics. This year’s workshop features a talk from Nate Storey, a well known academic, innovator and entrepreneur of the Aquaponic community from Wyoming, US. UW Aquaponics hopes that the workshop will encourage student groups from other universities to start their own aquaponics team.
If you’re interested in sustainable food systems, urban agriculture, or in just learning more about aquaponics in general, UW Aquaponics is always welcome to new members. Weekly meetings are held every Tuesday at 5:30 pm in E5 2103. You can check out the group’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/AquaponicsFoodForThought where you can register to attend the “Growing Food For Thought Workshop” on March 8. UW Aquaponics is looking forward to this event as an opportunity to display their new aquaponics system, to learn more about the industry, and to connect with others who are interested in the field of aquaponics.
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