Source: NORTH CAROLINA A&T STATE UNIV submitted to
PERMACULTURE LABORATORY FOR TEACHING AND RECRUITING AGRICULTURE MAJORS
Sponsoring Institution
National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Project Status
TERMINATED
Funding Source
OTHER GRANTS
Reporting Frequency
Annual
Accession No.
0223191
Grant No.
2010-38820-21486
Project No.
NCE-2010-02127
Proposal No.
2010-02127
Multistate No.
(N/A)
Program Code
EP
Project Start Date
Sep 1, 2010
Project End Date
Aug 31, 2014
Grant Year
2010
Project Director
Reyes, M. R.
Recipient Organization
NORTH CAROLINA A&T STATE UNIV
1601 EAST MARKET STREET
GREENSBORO,NC 27411
Performing Department
Natural Resources and Environmental Design
Non Technical Summary
Permaculture is a diverse approach to sustainability. It is not a production system, per se, but rather a holistic land use and community planning philosophy. Permaculture looks at the interaction of all the parts of the system. Integrating permaculture into current university landscaping practice presents numerous environmental benefits and opens up a wealth of instructional principles in sustainable living that can be critically analyzed by students. First, permaculture encourages rain water harvesting, applying water through drip irrigation and planting hardy, drought resistant indigenous plant species and retaining residue as mulch to reduce soil evaporation lead to a significant savings in municipal water use. Second, runoff is reduced in permaculture because of improved infiltration due to the rain garden. Third, in permaculture, runoff pollutants are cleaned by the biological, chemical, and physical filtering capacity of the improved soil. Fourth, fertilizer use in permaculture is reduced because the plant species used require fewer nutrient additions to the soil than fertilizer-intensive lawns, and because plant residue, which contains nitrogen and phosphorous is recycled. Fifth, pesticide use is lower in permaculture because the so called weeds are encouraged in a permaculture system or, if necessary, will be hand-pulled, and insecticides are not as needed when a diversity of endemic plant species are used. Sixth, organic trash is minimized, because most plant materials will be recycled in a compost pit. Seventh, wild life habitat is established and wildlife food is provided, hence there is increased presence of wildlife in a permaculture garden. Eight, in permaculture, biological diversity is enhanced with the variety of plants and wild-life that will be nurtured. Ninth, energy use from lawn mowers and aerators will decrease, as mowing and mechanical aeration will no longer be required in permaculture. Tenth, air quality improves in permaculture because pollutants from lawn machinery are no longer released and plant leaves can filter particulate matter. Eleventh, carbon sequestration by plant and carbon dioxide consumption by plants is enhanced, which contribute to reduction of carbon footprint. Twelfth temperatures in the permaculture area are cooler. The value of the project at all levels is as a teaching laboratory for developing agricultural students interested in applications that can be modeled or examined using the permaculture laboratory. The project has potential spin-offs. If permaculture practice grows as a landscaping practice in urban sectors of North Carolina, then significant reductions of nitrogen, phosphorous and pesticide use can be experienced. Furthermore, this can expand to other areas in the NCA&T, other UNC campuses, and other States and can have national implications. Landscaping will no longer be lawn-based but also permaculture based. Permaculture can be a lure for agriculture; it may bring in students who had biases against agriculture, potentially solving an agriculture education problem of getting young people interested in the agriculture profession.
Animal Health Component
(N/A)
Research Effort Categories
Basic
(N/A)
Applied
100%
Developmental
(N/A)
Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)Subject of Investigation (SOI)Field of Science (FOS)Percent
90360993020100%
Knowledge Area
903 - Communication, Education, and Information Delivery;

Subject Of Investigation
6099 - People and communities, general/other;

Field Of Science
3020 - Education;
Goals / Objectives
Because less than one percent of the United States population is involved in agriculture, young people do not have much direct exposure to the discipline and tend to have out-dated ideas of what agriculture is. This project intends to take advantage of the current interest in 'going green' to recruit students subtly and overtly to agriculture as it actually is. The existing lawn of Sockwell Hall, which houses the Biological Engineering Program of NCA&T, will be converted to a multipurpose permaculture laboratory to be used for course instruction and experiential learning of NCA&T students; for demonstrating the numerous environmental benefits provided by permaculture; and for recruiting agriculture majors. The NIFA strategic goals of climate change, childhood obesity, global food security and food safety will be addressed as students learn sustainable agricultural and social systems modeled by permaculture; as community involvement promotes better nutrition and exercise, better food availability and fewer chemical inputs in food production. The program priority areas are curricula design and materials development, student experiential learning and student recruitment with degree levels targeted at undergraduate and graduate. The need area addressed is teaching in the discipline of Environmental Science and Natural Resource Conservation with code EP.C. The anticipated impact on the food and agricultural sciences higher education system will be completed multidisciplinary instructional materials designed by professors and students from several departments that incorporate the permaculture laboratory into their courses and shows off agriculture. Completed instructional materials will be submitted to a website set up for the permaculture laboratory.
Project Methods
The permaculture laboratory will showcase three environments and is located in Sockwell Hall and its surrounding landscaping which is composed of a brick surface, lawn and permaculture garden. Also right across the garden is the biology greenhouse. This laboratory will be NCA&T faculty and facilities staff supervised, but will be student led and student propelled (experiential learning). Undergraduate scholars and volunteers will be stimulated to be advocates of Green Technology and this permaculture garden will be presented as a symbol, a battle cry of NCA&T students for change from traditional to sustainable landscaping practices. In the midst of this excitement, subtly and subconsciously, agriculture is introduced into the minds of the young. Brick surface - the environment at the brick surface will be monitored. Undergraduate scholars will install sensors to automatically measure hourly temperature and relative humidity in this area. Surface runoff will be assumed as equal to precipitation amount. Random observations on how this area is used by students will be recorded by the scholars. It is assumed that this area will be very hot during the summer and relatively warmer during the winter illustrating the concept of urban heat island, a metropolitan area which is significantly warmer than its surrounding rural areas. The cost for maintaining the brick surface will be provided to scholars by NCA&T facilities. Lawn - the environment at the lawn surface will be monitored. Undergraduate scholars install sensors to automatically measure hourly temperature and relative humidity in this area. A class of hydrology students will estimate surface runoffs. Scholars will measure soil quality and insect population will be monitored in the lawn environment as well. The cost of maintaining the lawn will be provided to scholars by NCA&T facilities. Random observations on how this area is used by students will be recorded by the scholars. Permaculture Garden - the permaculture garden will be established and then monitored. Currently the site of the garden is traditional lawn. Baseline data on soil quality and wildlife (specifically, insect) population will be gathered in the lawn by student volunteers under the guidance of NCA&T soil quality and integrated pest management scientists. Rain garden and rain harvester designs had been completed and installed by BioE students as part of their senior capstone design graduation requirement. Also landscaping designs have been drawn by and volunteer alumnus of NCA&T landscaping architecture. Plants in the garden are being chosen through the guidance of NCA&T faculty, BioE alumnus, and a NCA&T staff, who is very knowledgeable with ornamental fruit trees. Lastly, NCA&T facilities staff are insuring that the permaculture garden complies with State of NC and NCA&T landscaping guidelines. Funds provided by this grant will be used for completing the establishment of a permaculture garden around Sockwell Hall.

Progress 09/01/10 to 08/31/14

Outputs
Target Audience: We have reached several target audiences. 1. University community - several students, staff and faculty of North Carolina A&T State University. They see natuculture system established at NCA&T and several asked questions, volunteered, received various vegetable produce. Also some professors in biology, earth science, landscape architecture, English, Arts, and fundamentals of engineering take their students in the site for a field trip or laboratory exercise. A lot of undergraduate and graduate students learn about the science behind biologically engineering systems to produce food by copying forest. 2. Eight high school campuses have natuculture systems in their campuses. Hence, several students, faculty and staff of these campuses have benefitted from the project. They are conducting scientific biomimicry studies in the oasissofas vegetable beds. In addition we have reached out to two middle schools, an elementary school, a Vietnam veterans home and/or clinic for an underserved population in Durham, NC, and an underserved community in Greensboro, NC. Our team have received emails and inquiry about natuculture. We also conducted field trips to various organizations. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? 1. For the third year, the team again conducted a training for Guiford County High School teachers about natuculture and soil quality. During this time, Guilford County School teachers discussed and agreed to hold the first natuculture high school conference. 2. First natuculture competition and conference was held November 13, 2014 at the campus of N.C. A&T. Several students learned about natuculture and also about local urban food production principles assource ofsafe and fresh food. 3. Several high school studentsgot trained in scientific experimentation, the environmental benefits and science of conservation agriculture, and also about stormwater management. A high school team got trained in making posters and presenting at a national EPA P3 conference. For 2015, two high school teams are participating. 3. Hands on training was provided on monitoring water use through rainharvesters. 4. Experiments on oasissofas have been training graduate, undergraduate and high school students in measuring soil physical, chemical and biological properties and also plant growth data. All of these information are being summarized and related to vegetable yield. Professional development: 1. Graduate and undergraduate were provided several opportunities to present and attend in international scieintic meetings. They presented orally or through a poster session. Specifically, faculty graduate and undergraduates presented at the 2014 American Scoiety of Agricultural and Biological engineers annual international meetings and also annual 2014 meetings of the Crop Science and/or Soi Science societies annual meetings. 2. High school students presented through the research apprentice program of NCA&T and in their respective high school campuses and in the first natuculture conference. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? We continued with the acitivities we did the previous year. We continued partnership with several high schools, especiallyfour of 7 who were active andvery interested. We offered a lot of NELSOL headquarters field trips to students of NCA&T and also to high schools. Our connection with the Greensboro community has strengthened when the Greensboro Community Sustainability Council met at NELSOL. We wereable to provide a tour to the council members.. Since then a number of community volunteer organizations visited with us for possible partnership which we willingly offered. One of which is to develop an oasissofa in a box youth jobs program. We have been pitching this idea and are hoping it will gain traction as we continue natuculture.We are continuallyteachingcommuities and visitorsthat agriculture in the science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) of human survival. We are slowly incorporating that agriculture is not just gardening, but STEM is very much in agriculture. Agricultural professionals need a lot of STEM training. Regarding the humanities, we have continued to partner with English and Art teachers. An English professordiscussed in classes the philosophical implcations of natuculture and conservation agriculture and urban food production. Art students are converying natuculture through painting and one of them through sculpture. Same paradigm is being encouraged with high school campus partners. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? I know I need to check the nothing to report per instruction. However, we have a number of initiatives to continue natuculture. We are continually transitioningNELSOL as part of N.C. A&T facilities responsibility to manage in partnership with students.Also wehope that this will be part of campus course field trips. In short, this will not stop and we will continue to pursue new funding sources to continue this until it is stableenough to be self sustaining through State of NCfunds (part ofuniversity landscaping maintenance).

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? 1) major activities completed a. Expanded the natuculture experiential learning systems outside laboratory (NELSOL) at NCA&T campus b. Continued partnerships and gathering of yield data with 7 high schools who have oasissofa natuculture experiments composed of 32 beds planted with two vegetables, under four treatments and four replications. c. Water metered and monitored water use for rainharvesters in five high school campuses. d. students with PI wrote a proposal to the EPA to design a floating island on a roof for stormwater management which got funded for $15000. 2) specific objectives met were continued: a. Interacting with several high school students composed mostly of urban students and began including 'agriculture' as part of a professional career. b. Interacting with several high school faculty and staff and encouraged them to include agriculture as a career path for students. c. Touring and answering questions of countless visitors, students, staff and faculty walking in the NELSOL at NCA&T. d. mentoring high school students on projects related to agriculture (i.e. five students presented oasissofa study at EPA P3, Washington DC national meeting) 3) significant results achieved, including major findings, developments, or conclusions (both positive and negative); We established natuculture and interest in agriculture, natural resources, and urban local food production at the NCA&T campus and several high school campuses was heightened. We penetrated urban high school campuses and integrating in their 'radar' the essential role of agricultural professionals, a career they may want to pursue. We have no explicit testimonials though of actual high school students recruited to major in agriculture because of this grant. 4) key outcomes or other accomplishments realized. There is an evident continuous interest at the NCA&T campus and partner high school campuses about agriculture, natuculture and natural resources management. The concept of conservation agriculture applied to urban food production has gained traction to many visitors who will like to establish community gardens; together with maintaining biological diversity in urban landscapes. Five students from the 2014 high school RAP program did research at NELSOL with three of the five expressing very strong interest on majoring in agriculture.

Publications

  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2014 Citation: Alford, C. (Author Only), Keefer, M. I. (Author Only), Mendoza, V. I. (Author Only), Armstrong, M. I. (Author Only), Reyes, M. R. (Author Only), Mesubed, R. (Presenter & Author), 2014 ASABE and CSBE | SCGAB Annual International Meeting, "Living Porch," Montreal, Quebec Canada. (July 16, 2014).
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2014 Citation: Reyes, M. R. (Presenter & Author), Edralin, D. A. (Author Only), Le, K. N. (Author Only), Creason, S. (Author Only), 2014 ASABE and CSBE | SCGAB Annual International Meeting, "Natuculture: A Model of Biologically Diverse Building for Learning," Montreal, Quebec Canada. (July 15, 2014).
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2013 Citation: Reyes, M. R. (Presenter & Author), Edralin, D. (Author Only), Aebeydo, A. (Author Only), McDaniel, R. (Author Only), 2013 Water Education Summit: Making a Difference in Your Community, "Oasissofas: A paradigm for high school students to experientially learn soil and water quality concepts," Chattanooga, TN. (September 24, 2013).
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2013 Citation: Reyes, M. R. (Author Only), Armstrong, M. (Author Only), Keefer, M. (Author Only), Edralin, D. (Author Only), Le, K. N. (Author Only), Hok, L. (Author Only), 2013 ASABE Annual International Meeting, "Conservation Agriculture in Urban Landscapes," Kansas City, Missouri. (July 21, 2013).


Progress 09/01/12 to 08/31/13

Outputs
Target Audience: We have reached several target audiences. 1. University community - several students, staff and faculty of North Carolina A&T State University. They see natuculture system established at NCA&T and several asked questions, volunteer, receive various vegetable produce. Also some professors in biology, earth science, and fundamentals of engineering take their students in the site for a field trip or laboratory exercise. A lot of undergraduate and graduate students learn about the science behind biologically engineering systems to produce food by copying forest. 2. Eight high school campuses have natuculture systems in their campuses. Hence, several students, faculty and staff of these campuses have benefitted from the project. They are conducting scientific biomimicry studies in the oasissofas vegetable beds. In addition we have reached out to two middle schools, an elementary school, a Vietnam veterans home and/or clinic for an underserved population in Durham, NC, and an underserved community in Greensboro, NC. We also have a reach out with a church. Our team have received countless emails and inquiry about natuculture. Changes/Problems: We have concentrated in building natuculture systems in high school campuses. Since we have had some cost share/subsidy from graduate school and also have some scholars who 'volunteer' to get involved with high school students as part of their scholarly activity. Furthermore, this grant synergizes well with the other projects of the PI. Hence, there were savings in graduate student assistant support and travel. All of these savings we are moving to buy educational supplies for the construction and maintenance of the oasissofa studies in seven high school campuses. This shift in line item will enable us to have on-site natuculture systems. We can mentor the students directly fro their campuses. Also the high school communities see what we are doing and accomplishing. We are optimistic this will change the knowledge and mind-set of stakeholders in these high school campus communities. Several will get interested and enroll in agricultural majors and pursue agricultural carees. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? Training activities: 1. Team conducted a training for Guiford County High School teachers about natuculture and oasissofas which is an experiment about applying conservation agriculture in urban food production. 2. As the oasissofas studies were being constructed and then maintained, graduate and undergraduate students where having hands-on training in working with high school faculty and staff and also with high school students. High school students were having training in scientific experimentation, the environmental benefits and science of conservation agriculture for urban food production, and training about natuculture. 3. Hands on training was provided by agent from NC-Cooperative extension in installation of rainharvesters and also raingarden. Graduate, undergraduate and high school students assisted in these activities. 4. Experiments on oasissofas have been training graduate, undergraduate and high school students in measuring soil physical, chemical and biological properties and also plant growth data. All of these information are being summarized and related to vegetable yield. Professional development: 1. Graduate and undergraduate were provided several opportunities to present and attend in international scieintic meetings. They presented orally or through a poster session. Specifically, faculty graduate and undergraduates presented in the American Scoiety of Agricultural and Biological engineers annual international meetings and also annual meetings of the Crop Science and/or Soi Science societies annual meetings. 2. High school students presented through the research apprentice program of NCA&T and in their respective high school campuses. Smith high school used the oasissofas as part of International Baccalaureate training of high school students. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? This project has embarked on an all out reach out campaign this year. After completing the headquarters of the natuculture experiential learning system (NELS) at NCA&T campus we invited high school teachers and administrators of Guilford County System to visit NELS headquarters. We then connected with principals and faculty of seven Guilford County high schools and installed oasissofas experiments and rainharvesters in their campuses. We brought this recruitment and experimental tool to high school campuses. This has received positive results with our high school contacts. What we are doing is getting known in the high school campuses we are partnering with. Most of the oasissofas studies are located in highly trafficked areas of these campuses. Also the campus communities benefit from the vegetables each campus harvest. They get to eat them. Most important, is we are teaching them that agriculture in the science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) of human survival. We are slowly incorporating that agriculture is not just gardening, but STEM is very much in agriculture. Agricultural professionals need a lot of STEM training. Regarding the humanities, we have partnered with English and Art teachers. English professors are planning to discuss in classes the philosophical implcations of natuculture and conservation agriculture. Art students are converying natuculture through painting. Same paradigm is being encouraged with high school campus partners. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? We are applying for extension. In the next reporting period, team will mentor and conduct oasissofa/natuculture studies with the high schools. They will learn that food can be produced by copying natural systems. Conservation agriculture mimics a forest. We will mentor high school students and weave oasissofas studies to students' science projects. We also intend to organize an oasissofa experimental competition among high school students. All these have a focused goal of increasing recruitment in urban high schools to major in agriculture. A key accomplishment of this project is if we can claim that after the project ends we have a sustainable way of recruiting agriculture majors from urban schools in Guilford county.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? 1) major activities completed a. Completed natuculture experiential learning systems (NELS) at NCA&T campus b. Actively partnered, installed and started experimenting on 7 sets of oasissofa natuculture experiments composed of 32 beds planted with two vegetables, under four treatments and four replications. c. Installed five rainharvesters in five high school campuses 2) specific objectives met; a. Interacted with several high school students composed mostly of urban students and began including 'agriculture' as part of a professional career. b. Interacted with several high school faculty and staff and encouraged them to include agriculture as a career path for students. c. Toured and answered questions of countless visitors, students, staff and faculty walking in the NELS at NCA&T 3) significant results achieved, including major findings, developments, or conclusions (both positive and negative); We are establishing natuculture and provided interest in agriculture at the NCA&T campus and several high school campuses. We are penetrating urban high school campuses and integrating in their 'radar' the essential role of agricultural professionals, a career they may want to pursue. We have no explicit testimonials though of actual high school students recruited to major in agriculture because of this grant. 4) key outcomes or other accomplishments realized. There is an evident (though no survey) interest at the NCA&T campus and partner high school campuses about agriculture and natuculture. The concept of conservation agriculture applied to urban food production is gaining traction.

Publications

  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2012 Citation: Reyes, M. 2012. Citizen Engagement through Natuculture. Invited speaker, Ecological Engineering: The State of the Practice and Future Directions. Presented at the 2012 ASABE, Annual Conference, Dallas, TX, July 29 to August 1, 2012.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2012 Citation: 1. Creason, S., Le N. Kieu, Don I. Edralin, Harley J Houston, Annette Sparks, Tramell J. Forney, Nustxwj Lo, Lyda Hok, Jackie Cantrell, Abibatu T. Ojoamoo, Hai T. Pham, Shonkela Pittman. Advisers: Manuel Reyes, Godfrey Gayle, Mitch Woodward, Randall Hayes, Joshua Idassi, Michael Cundall Jr., Louise Jackai, Omoanghe Isikhuemhen. Natuculture: Biomimicry in Urban Landscapes. Poster presented at the 2012 P3: People, Prosperity and the Planet Student Design and the Philippines. April 20-21, 2012, Washington, DC.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2012 Citation: Don Immanuel A. Edralin, Lyda Hok, Kieu Le Ngoc, Godfrey A. Gayle, Charles W. Raczkowski and Manuel R. Reyes. 2012. Urban Conservation Agriculture for Food Deserts. Presented at ASA, CSSA, and SSSA International Annual Meeting. October 21-24, 2012, Cincinnati, Ohio.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2012 Citation: Edralin, Hok, Williams and Reyes, 2012. Oasis Sofa: Application of Conservation Agriculture in Urban Vegetable Production. Presented at the Third International Conservation Agriculture Conference in Southeast Asia, Hanoi, Vietnam, December 10  15, 2012.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2012 Citation: Reyes, M.R. 2012. Natuculture: Making the Unnatural Natural. Presented at the National Institute of Food and Agriculture 1890 Capacity building Grants Program Project Directors Meeting, Huntsville, Alabama, September 16-19, 2012.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2012 Citation: Reyes, M., P. Faulkner, K. Gruber, A. Abraha, L. Kieu, D. Edralin, L. Hok, S. Creason, and M. Williams. 2012. Cultivating STEM Students in Agricultural Sciences through Natuculture. Poster presented at the 2012 Bridging the Gap conference, Raleigh, NC, October 23-24, 2012.


Progress 09/01/11 to 08/31/12

Outputs
OUTPUTS: 1.A natuculture experiential learning system (NELS) has been established at Sockwell Hall. Natuculture began in the United States at the campus of North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University (A&T). Natuculture (pronounced nāychew culture) is any human made system that mimics nature in human disturbed landscapes. Natuculture is a system that synergizes with and does not oppose nature. Natuculture involves designing in urban landscapes biologically engineered systems that harmonizes with nature. Natuculture makes the unnatural natural. Natuculture therefore is not just a garden but natuculture is more than a garden. In most instances, a garden can even be the opposite of natuculture since a garden connotes several practices that make the natural unnatural like tilling, planting of non-native species, and use of artificial chemicals. Natuculture is not permaculture. When several natucultures stabilize it may transform into permaculture. In NELS at Sockwell Hall we have installed ecocleaners, ecoroofs, oasissofas, biodiverCity, oasissoakers, berries, fruit and nut trees, cityaquatic, oasiscircle, oasisstrips, mushroom barks, and butterfly and hummingbird hangout. 2.NELS website was developed (www.natuculture.org). It describes the natuculture systems listed in the 1. 3.Oasissofas and rainharvesters natuculture systems have been completed in four highs schools and one middle school. Oasissofas and raingarden natuculture systems in one elementary school. 4.Two NELS lesson plans were completed for a middle school with more planned and several are being completed for high schools. 5.Oasissofas natuculture system researches to discover benefits of conservation agriculture in urban vegetable production are being conducted in four high schools, one middle school, one elementary school, and in two community gardens. 6.NELS at Sockwell Hall has become a place for field trips and experiential learning exercises to teach biodiversity and sustainable management in urban communities. 7.Two senior capstone design projects in biological engineering were completed and installed at Sockwell NELS. 8.Greenhouse at NCA&T near Sockwell Hall was put back into operation so we can grow plant materials for NELS. 9.Soil quality training for graduate students and field visits of NELS was conducted several times to many visitors. 10. In numerous occassions faculty, graduate and undergraduate students visited with students and faculty of several K-12 schools. We lectured, constructed NELS, interacted, conducted and set up researches with students. PARTICIPANTS: Individuals. The Lead Principal Investigator coordinated the project and established network within NCA&T and also with K-12 and community partners. He visited all partner campuses and negotiated with faculty and staff. He has established meaningful partnerships with Guilford and Durham public school systems. He insured the establishment of NELS in the NCA&T campus and motivated several volunteers to design and install natuculture systems, personally exchanging ideas with them and then supervising what they are doing. There was a graduate student who assisted the lead PI in implementation of NELS. She insured that NELS is maintained, that scientific knowledge gathered in NELS are documented, time line and photographs of NELS development is recorded. She also prepared scientific presentations done for NELS. Partner Organizations. 1. For Pre-Kindergarten we partnered with NCA&T Child Development Laboratory and installed two oasissofas in that laboratory. We also are visiting with the kids and teaching them natuculture. 2. For elementary (K-5) we partnered with General Greene Elementary School. We installed three natuculture systems raingarden, oasissofas and a soil erosion diversion structure in the school. We are using these systems to introduce K-5 kids to the science behind water cleaning, vegetable production and soil health, and also water management. 3. For Middle School (grades 6-8) we partnered with Neal Middle School. We installed oasissofas in the campus which is being irrigated with the previously installed rainharvester. We developed two science based exercises using the oasissofas. 4. For High School (grades 9-12) we partnered with Southern High School of Energy and Sustainability, Smith High School, Dudley High School, and Southeast Guilford High School. We established 32 bed oasissofas research experiment in all of those campuses similar to 32-bed oasisofas studies established at NCA&T. 5. Community garden. We partnered with CAARE, a clinic for the underserved in Durham, NC. CAARE also provides housing to Vietnam war veterans. We assisted in installing oasissofa beds in CAARE. Collaborators and contacts We established several collaborations with several departments in campus. We are in close collaboration with Civil, Architectural, Technology, Arts, and English departments and also with Honors program. Also oasissofa concepts of conservation agriculture is an application of concepts being learned through international collaboration from USAID grant managed by the lead PI of this grant. Training or professional development. We are training graduate students in the science of soil health also in the science behind natuculture. The project supports undergraduate natuculture scholars who are volunteering in the establishment of NELs as part of their scholarly activity. Each of them is given a research or design topic in NELS and binders are kept of their outputs. We partner with several K-12 teachers and students and even staff of these campuses. In our visit to those places we conduct many informal face to face training in the science of conservation agriculture which is implemented in the oasissofas studies. TARGET AUDIENCES: The target audiences are undergraduate students, K-12 students, and an underserved community. Several K-12 partners serve significantly large populations of African and Hispanic American communities. Efforts delivered are formal and informal instruction, practicum experiences on science based knowledge of producing food with a balance of caring for the ecosystem. We teach about the importance of soil health and also biological diversity. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: A request was made and was approved by USDA to change the term permaculture in the title to natuculture. So the approach we are pursuing is new and we defined a new term. Natuculture is any human made system that mimics nature in human disturbed landscapes. We also expanded our outreach by installing natuculture systems in several K-12 campuses. We are developing a pathway wherein faculty, graduate students, undergraduates, high school faculty and students, we all partner to observe and conduct studies in natuculture, specifically testing,learning and applying the science of conservation agriculture technology to produce vegetables in urban areas.

Impacts
First, at the campus of NCA&T the NELS is being seen by hundreds of students, faculty and staff. We have organized several visits and answered many questions of people passing by the NELS site. We have actively partnered with NCA&T facilities and NELS is slowly being integrated in NCA&T facilities operations. Vegetables and fruits harvested in NELS are being shared to NCA&T community of students, staff and faculty. We inform that these vegetables were grown with close to zero use of artificial chemicals. We already established partnership with students and faculty from the honors program who provided some funding in the design and construction of a green wall at Sockwell Hall, with Arts department, whose students and faculty painted the green roof and rainharvester, with horticulture students who are guiding us in the planting of vegetables, with agricultural education, arichitectural and civil engineering, business and other disciplines in campus volunteering in NELS. NELS is also becoming a showcase for NCA&T sustainability activities as part of the University of North Carolina School System requirement for each UNC system campus to integrate sustainability in its operation. In addition, since the NELS site is near football stadium, during football season several football tailgaters visit NELS. Second, is impact of natuculture in K-12 campuses. We have been working with several K-12 schools installing natuculture systems. This means having face to face contact with several students and faculty in each campus. In Smith High School (SHS) natuculture oasissofas are main subject of SHS international baccalaureate paper requirement of most of its IB students. We lecture concepts of conservation agriculture in Smith High School and have been conducting exercises in measuring soil health variables with students in SHS. We will do the same for the other high school campuses. Third, since natuculture is in several campuses we are encouraging youth to come out and grow vegetables using the oasissofas conservation agriculture approach. We are showing that agriculture is science based and not just gardening. We are pairing faculty of NCA&T with K-12 faculty and also graduate and undergraduate students with K-12 students, hence, we have built a pathway for the building of a community of sustainable young urban local home vegetable producers in the NCA&T and K-12 campuses we are working with.

Publications

  • No publications reported this period


Progress 09/01/10 to 08/31/11

Outputs
OUTPUTS: Natuculture: In the process of implementing permaculture, the team found that it will take several years to establish a permaculture system. Therefore, team defined a new term. It is called natuculture. Natuculture is "making the unnatural natural." Natuculture is any human-made system that mimics nature in human disturbed landscapes. Conservation agriculture is an example of natuculture. It is production of food which mimics a forest since its three attributes are characteristics of forests which are minimum soil disturbance, continuous mulch, and diverse species. When several natuculture systems stably synergize, the site is transformed into a permaculture system. Established partnerships with K-12 campuses and a health care facility. NCA&T established strong relationships with General Greene Elementary School (GGES), Neal Middle School (NMS), Southern High School (SHS), and CAARE, a health care facility. All of these campuses are underserved with predominantly African-American and Hispanic populations. Natuculture scholars. A team of nineteen natuculture scholars and a Ph.D. graduate student was formed to promote natuculture. Maintained raingarden: The first and only raingarden at NCA&T was before this funding. The drainage of about a fourth of the building was diverted to the raingarden. The raingarden was 100% efficient in water infiltration. Before the raingarden, 100% of the rainwater goes directly to storm drains. The raingarden was planted with many native NC plant species, many birds, butterflies, bumble bees and other insects visit the garden. A ground-hog named, frequently visits the garden and brings delight to many students. No artificial chemicals were used since March 2010. Installed rainwater harvesters: A rainharvester donated by partners at NCSU was installed at Sockwell Hall. The tank was painted with a natuculture theme and with a big A&T logo. Rainharvesters were also installed at three partner campuses. Designed and constructed a green roof. As part of biological engineering senior design, the first and only green roof at NCA&T was constructed. The roof covers a porch and experiments are now being conducted to determine a soil media and planting materials for the roof. Community garden. Through partnership with NC-Cooperative extension vegetable natuculture systems were started at NCA&T and several campus partners, called "Oasis Sofas" with a theme of bringing nutritious food in home deserts. "Home deserts" are households with meager healthy food. Solar powered bird pond and bird feeders. A solar powered bird pond were installed with birdfeeders. Training on rainharvester. NC-Cooperative Extension conducted a rainharvester training held at the NCA&T campus. Visitors at natuculture laboratory. Several students in elementary, middle and high schools visited the natuculture laboratory. Students at NCA&T also are visiting the laboratory. Undergraduate and graduate researchers involved. A student capstone design was funded. Many researches are now being conducted by students. These students are conducting research in natuculture but funded through other projects. PARTICIPANTS: Individual: Reyes: Reyes did overall management of project, insuring that each component of the project was implemented and making adjustments if necessary. Coomans - recommended biology scholar Glass - recommended horticulture scholar and provided technical expertise in vegetable gardens Gayle - recommended biological engineering drip irrigation scholar and supervised scholar designing drip irrigation Howard - recommended landscape architecture scholar and supervised landscape architect in designing for the project Jackai - recommended the integrated pest management scholar and supervised collection of insects in the project site Idassi - recommended agricultural education scholar and assisted in organization of workshops in permaculture Reddy - recommended soil science scholar and assisted in analysis of water samples Yeboah - recommended agricultural economics scholar Banna - graduate student supported through funds from this project who completed a Masters degree in Soil, Plant and Environmental Sciences Partner organizations: General Greene Elementary School, Greensboro, NC Neal Middle School, Durham, NC Southern High School, Durham, NC CAARE, Durham, NC North Carolina State University Collaborators and contacts: Department of Architectural, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Art Department, Department of Agribusiness, Applied Economics and Agriscience Education, NC-Cooperative Extension Service, Honors program, IBLEND scholarship program, Natural Resources and Conservation Service Environmental Scholarship, American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers Training: Rainharvester and Raingarden Workshop, August 2010. Several field trips of K-12 and college students At least 20 natuculture scholars participating in hands-on activities with the project One graduate student completing MS TARGET AUDIENCES: Target audiences K-12 and College students and also patients of clinic in Durham who caters to underserved population. The population groups are mainly African American, and Hispanic students. NCA&T visitors and community of faculty, staff and students are noticing natuculture. The project site is located near the football stadium and is highly trafficked. Efforts: Formal classroom instruction in concepts of permaculture was included in some class lectures. Field trips were done. Many students are involved in mini-research projects in natuculture systems. Also capstone designs were conducted by several students as well using this natuculture facility. Experiential learning happened with many natuculture scholars. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Overall direction of project was being met. Permaculture was changed to natuculture because in the process of implementing permaculture, the team found that it will take several years to establish a permaculture system. Therefore, team defined a new term. It is called natuculture. Natuculture is "making the unnatural natural." When several natuculture systems stably synergize, the site is transformed into a permaculture system.

Impacts
Natuculture, a term originating from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University (NCA&T), is any human-made system that mimics nature in human disturbed landscapes. The term is derived from nature culture. Since 2008, multigenerational teams of students from different disciplines have been designing and implementing natuculture (pronounced nā-chew-culture) systems in the campus of NCA&T. Students converted a conventional lawn - which we call a drug-addicted carpet that has very limited utility - into a natuculture system. Now the landscape at this site near the NCA&T football stadium, a highly trafficked area in campus, is a living display of a vibrant, biologically diverse, multifunctional, and ecologically complex water and carbon dioxide harvester system with close to zero use of artificial chemicals. Features of the system include a green roofed porch, a rain garden, a rainwater harvester, a solar powered bird pond, bird feeders, and at least 50 species of flora which includes edible fruits like figs, grapes, and apples. It is visited by an array of birds, including American gold and red finches, titmice, Carolina chickadees, mourning doves, hawks, downy wood peckers, and cardinals. Other fauna, insects and arthropods that feed at the site include bumble bees, spiders, butterflies, squirrels and a ground hog named Arnold. Rainwater from the roof is directed to a rainharvester with the overflow going to a high water infiltrating raingarden that recharges groundwater. Water for irrigation is mainly supplied by the rainwater harvester. Plans are for students to install different irrigation systems applying water coming from the rainharvester. The green roofed porch is illustrating urban heat reduction with the use of living roofs. In addition, 32 six-by-three foot raised vegetable beds, which we call "oasis sofas," were established. The purpose of the oasis sofas is to demonstrate and research ways to bring nutritional food into home deserts using very limited space. A home desert is defined as a household whose diet barely contains nutritious food. The oasis sofa is a scientifically replicated study that compares conservation agriculture with conventional methods to produce vegetables in urban areas. Conservation agriculture mimics a forest ecosystem, and the practice has been shown to harvest rainwater through increase infiltration, conserve soil-water through mulch and increase in soil water-holding capacity, double yields, be eco-friendly, alleviate climate change by sequestering carbon, improve soil and water quality, arrest erosion, save on fossil fuel and labor, and significantly decrease use of artificial chemicals by providing natural fertilizers and disease and pest control. Graduate and undergraduate students are and will be monitoring and writing scientific papers about soil quality, yield, artificial fertilizer use, biomass, carbon sequestration, profit, and many other variables in the oasis sofa study. This study is also an excellent tool that exposes the NCA&T community, especially students, to the benefits of nutritional and healthy living by growing your own fruits and vegetables in your backyard

Publications

  • Creason, S., A. Banna and M. Reyes. 2011. Engaging students through permaculture design. Presented at the 2011 International American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers, Louisville, Kentucky. August 7-10, 2011. Abstract.
  • Gegenbach, L. Biological engineering students turn Aggie blue and gold into GREEN. Re:search. A magazine of the Agricultural Research Program in the School of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, NCA&TSU. Vol. 7, 2011.
  • Gegenbach, L. The Green Scene: Biological engineering students pursue sustainability on campus, turning North Carolina A&T blue-and gold into green. In RESOURCE: Engineering and technology for a sustainable world. American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers. July 2011. (article from Re:search reprinted in national ASABE magazine).