My Turtleponics
WELCOME
What began as a simple passion for sustainability transformed into a project of education, research, and outreach. Here, I want to showcase the growth and experiences of my homemade aquaponics system, and the many other projects inspired by it. I hope my experiences encourage others to pursue their passion for the environment and sustainable living.
In the meantime, check out some photos of my progress!
About Me
My name is Madalyn and I am a high school student in Philadelphia with a passion for sustainable agriculture and natural cycles. Incorporating sustainable practices into one's life shouldn't be expensive, inaccessible, or tedious. We can glean crucial insight into the environmental challenges we face and create innovative solutions by purely exploring and experimenting with what we have, all while enjoying the process.
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Email: madalyn.jy.shen@gmail.com
My Journey
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Having always carried an interest in natural cycles and the idea that parts of a system can work harmoniously and continuously, I created my aquaponics system to observe them. It did not take long to absolutely fall in love with the process of maintaining the system and growing various plants and vegetables.
Starting Out
The Build
Since aquaponics apparatus is costly, I decided to essentially DIY my system using materials at my disposal, with only a few online purchases. During the two years since I completed this project, I grew various plants and vegetables, including basil, tomato, lettuce, asparagus, and arugula. More details can be viewed in the "Turtleponics" section.
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The Build
03
It is well-established that sustainable farming methods, such as organic farming, are beneficial to the environment. However, they are much more costly because of the lower yield without using synthetic fertilizers. How then, can sustainably-grown food be economically accessible to everyone? This led me to my research on arbuscular-mycorrhizal fungus and light controls, which you can view in the "Research" section.
Research &
Innovation
After completing my research, I realized the huge potential if I could convince local farms to try it out on their crops. So, I surveyed 254 farms, gardens, and protected areas (parks, arboretums, etc) and found some farms that would be interested in implementing AMF. I traveled to those farms and set up experimental crops that compared the difference between inoculated and uninoculated farmland crops.
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