All posts by Hermena Ibrahim

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Bioblitz

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Bioblitz is a biological catalog that aims to educate students about ecology in the city by locating and identifying various organisms. The Bioblitz was held at Brooklyn bridge park, where we were split into groups to explore the different biological areas at the park. Our goal was to record every possible living thing that we found in the area we were assigned to. The area my group was assigned to was at the Salt Marsh and Wier pond by Pier 1. We were given a  couple of equipments that we would need in order to capture the organisms that we find, which were aspirators, air nets, and vials. Aspirators are tools used to collect insects by sucking them in through a tube. We would catch terrestrial insects by using an aspirator and catch aerial insects by using air nets. The animals that we captured were snails, fiddler crabs, flies, spiders, ants, blue beetles, and jumping spiders. Based on the data my group collected, there is a diverse population of species in Brooklyn bridge park. The purpose of Bioblitz is to serve as a biological census of a particular area.  

 

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Green Infrastructure

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Recent studies have shown that climate change is a problem that is very relevant and apparent in our world today. One of the steps that our city is taking towards conserving our resources and fighting climate change is the development of the NYC Green Infrastructure Program, which is led by the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). Green infrastructure is useful in that it is able to manage storm water runoff from streets, sidewalks, parking lots, and rooftops in order to conserve our water supply. Likewise, according to the article, “Importance of Water Conservation”, conserving water supply is great for our environment because fresh, clean water is a limited resource and converting salt water into “usable” water is an expensive process. With the Green Infrastructure Program, we will be able to reuse our water, thus, cutting down overall costs. The DEP also looks to use green infrastructure to reduce polluted runoff from running into our bodies of water. This is beneficial in several ways as it’s good for water animal lives as well as it helps to prevent global warming. Although I think this is a great program, one thing I’d like to see is the program being used more and for the DEP to spread the word about the program. In my opinion, I feel like not many people know about this program and how beneficial it is for our city. This could be because we’re not always seeing the program at work.

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References

http://www.thewaterpage.com/important-water.htmhttp://www.nyc.gov/html/dep/html/stormwater/using_green_infra_to_manage_stormwater.shtml

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Aquaponics in Brooklyn

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Aquaponics is a farming method that utilizes water from a fish tank to sustain and grow plants. The fish waste provides nutrients to the plants, and the plants filter the water that the fish live in. Although the aquaponic systems discussed in class were located in Hawaii, this method of farming is also ideal for cities. Several aquaponic farms have emerged in Brooklyn, including Verticulture, Edenworks, and OKO farms.

Verticulture Farms, located on a roof in Bedstuy, Brooklyn, focuses on agricultural sustainability through efficient technology. Their aquaponics system is environmentally conscious and allows for the conservation of natural resources. In addition to having environmental benefits, the farm also helps provide local communities with healthy, fresh food such as kale, basil, and tilapia. Powered by nearly 200 tilapia fish, the farm is able to produce 30 to 40 pounds of basil each week.

aquaponics

Like Verticulture Farms, Edenworks is also powered by tilapia, but on a much larger scale. The company is capable of producing 130,000 pounds of leafy greens a year, along with 50,000 pounds of fish. In addition to sustainability, aquaponic farming requires less space; Edenworks can produce nearly as much output as a 1,300-acre farm in central New York.

Oko Farms, located in Bushwick, also brings a high yield of vegetables to surrounding communities while also reducing pollution and fish consumption. This farm is the largest outdoor aquaponics system in New York City, supplying many local restaurants and institutions.

Sources:

http://www.okofarms.com/projects/

http://www.theverge.com/2016/6/15/11937882/verticulture-aquaponic-farm-brooklyn-fish-poop-fertilizer

http://www.ecowatch.com/3-aquaponic-farms-in-brooklyn-killing-it1891176412.html