Contact: Ann Hatch
214-378-1819;
ahatch@dcccd.edu
For immediate release — July 9, 2015
(DALLAS) — As part of its efforts to become a carbon-neutral campus, Mountain View College is launching new workshops to educate the local community about sustainability.
The first workshop in the series, titled “Basics of Aquaponics,” will be offered twice — first on Saturday, July 18, and again on Saturday, Aug. 15, from 9 a.m. to noon at the college’s Center for a Sustainable Future. Mountain View College is located at 4849 W. Illinois Ave. in Dallas. The cost is $65 per person, which includes a workbook.
Participants will learn the basics of aquaponics, a method of food production that combines growing plants and aquatic animals in a symbiotic system. The system uses animal excretions in the water as nutrients for the plants, and the water then is recycled back to the aquatic animals.
Participants will learn about aquaponics components, biology and water chemistry. During the hands-on portion of the class, they will build an aquaponics system using an IBC tote — an industrial, reusable, plastic-composite container that is used in many home aquaponics systems. Participants also will receive a printed manual.
The class will be taught by Adam Cohen, who is committed to sustainability, plus healthy and natural food. He holds dual bachelor’s degrees in marine biology and marine fisheries from Texas A&M University. Cohen serves on several committees that focus on sustainability, urban and community-supported farming, and home-grown food. He believes all people should have access to safe, nutritious, locally grown food.
Tickets can be purchased online through Eventbrite.
The second workshop in the series, titled “Square Foot Gardening,” will focus on growing vegetables at home. It will be offered on Saturday, Sept. 19, from 10 a.m. to noon. Tickets are $15 per person.
The third and final installment in the series is titled “Composting 101: Make Compost at Home!” This class is scheduled on Saturday, Oct. 10, from 9:30 a.m. to noon. Participants will learn how to recycle organic materials into mulch and compost. The cost is $15 per person and includes a workbook.
For more information, please contact Lori De La Cruz, sustainability project coordinator at Mountain View College, by phone at 214-860-8564 or by email at
ldelacruz@dcccd.edu.
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