Pupils of Newell Elementary School (USA) look after fish and plants in the aquaponic system of an out-of-school club.

Integration Specialist Crystal Spielger said Newell received a grant from Beyond School Bells for the system that Whispering Roots installed in December 2018. Students began developing it in January of this year.

Spielger reported that Newell was the first Grand Island primary school to have an aquaponics system. She added that West Lawn and Howard also have aquaponic systems, and Walnut is in the process of installing it.

Spielger said that currently 14 children are taking care of the club’s aquaponic system after school. All of them are fifth grade students.

“I'm just starting with fifth graders,” she said. “Then I will have third graders, and then fourth graders.”

Children themselves talk about the system with admiration. They say that the fish that lives in the aquarium has the name Bubba. At first, there were two fish in the system, one of which behaved aggressively.

She bit Bubba, leaving wounds on his body. Because of this, he had to hide. The troublemaker was jailed and Bubba was able to live in peace.

Students feed the fish daily, and once a week one of them cleans the aquarium with a special device.

They take responsibility for their duties, understanding that negligence can affect Bubba’s well-being.