SUSTAINABILITY SCIENCE IN FOCUS BY LILY INGBER AND AIDEN MUENCH
June 4, 2025
On May 2, 2025, 7th graders Aiden and Lily from the West End Secondary School arrived at the Javits Center to attend the 14th Discovering Sustainability Science Youth Conference. They interviewed three groups of presenters and questioned each group about how their chosen topic shed light on a specific area of sustainability science.
Hydro-Craftism – West End Secondary School
The three 8th grade students, Freya, Andrea, and Isabella, focused on creating resin jewelry that captured the rich colors of leftover flowers and herbs from their hydroponic classrooms. Instead of leaving their surplus plants to waste, the students used them in an unconventional but astonishing way; creating accessories from rings and necklaces to coasters that pop. We found the students’ improvisation really inspirational in developing smart and non-wasteful ways to fight climate change.
Freya, Andrea, and Isabella during their presentation
12th grade student Jocelyn from José Marti STEM Academy, presented her project under the title Canopy Transpiration In Different Tree Species And Their Response To Soil Moisture In A Changing Climate. Jocelyn highlighted the rising temperatures across the globe in the past century due to human interaction and how these changes have resulted in a drier climate. She spoke about how the increasing frequency of fires has laid waste to ever larger tracts of vital forests and rainforests. This problem jeopardizes both our oxygen supply and impacts the transpiration, the process in which water vapor rises from the stomata of leaves of plants and trees, assisting in the water cycle. When forest fires destroy copious amounts of plants and trees, both photosynthesis and transpiration are negatively affected. Jocelyn also presented solutions to climate change’s threats, such as: reforestation, growing crops that grow comfortably in hot, dry places, green roofs, and planting trees in urban areas.
Jocelyn is evidently not only against climate change, but seeks creative solutions to fight it.
Jocelyn’s project looked into the impacts of climate change on transpiration in plants and trees
Help from Fish – PS 181 John L. Steptoe
Three 6th grade students named Ethan, Khloe and Sabrina from P.S. 181 John L. Steptoe focused on the beneficial role of fish waste in providing nutrients within aquaponic systems. The students outlined how fish waste is broken down into nitrates, which the plants then absorb as nutrients. Instead of giving the plants artificial nutrients to help with its growth, the students used natural fish nutrients. Not only do the fish give nutrients to the plants, but the plants also provide a safe and healthy environment for the fish. For instance, when the plants take up the fish waste, the plant is cleaning and filtering the system providing a healthier environment for organisms.
Overall, all of these young presenters have shared many creative and efficient ways to fight climate change, finding unlimited ideas in a limited Hydroponic Classroom space.
Ethan, Khloe and Sabrina from P.S. 181 John L. Steptoe wanted to explore the benefits of aquaponics
