New blood water renews

Aquaculture + Hydroponics = AquaponicsSaving biodiversity and a towns economyArai Chan CanulArlenn Crespo MaldonadoConcepcin Pech XoolGriselda Gambrielson ChiJuan Jos Noh Ventura

1During the 2th CWWFWe participated in Mexico with our project Labyrinth of water culture There, we explained how we are teaching other children to save water , was amazing to transform children into water drops, with imagination!

2Imagine that we are little water drops use your imagination

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My little drops friends, we are travelingLike clouds in the sky. 4NOW we are rainstand up and walk like rain follow melike rain

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How important are water drops Children can find us in deserts

Inside of plants

Inside of humans

We are really important because we

6Results of the labyrinthWe taught more than 53,000 persons during 2004-2008Many of these children now are participating in our environmental workshops

7We are volunteers in HUNAB since 4-6 years ago; some of us now are directors of our own HUNABs environmental workshops in our towns

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Our project is about:Aquaculture Is a technique that reproduce aquatic living beingsHydroponics Is to have crops but there are no soil, only sand. Water has all nutrients.

9About YucatnThe coastal of Yucatan is one of the ten more important wetlands of Mxico, unfortunately these areas are polluted and some native biodiversity are endangered.

10The development of our towns depends of the natural resources, especially of water.

11We are 29 friends (3-17 years old) from Mrida, San Crisanto, Sinanch, Yoban and Puerto Progreso, all in Yucatn. And have pools producing and using water in efficient way and there are 50 friends more that want to have their own pools at home.

12The phases of the project were:1)We learned about aquaculture (2005-2007)

132) We rescued native biodiversity from wetlands (2006-2008)Some places were polluted therefore we had activities to clean it, others wetlands were being dried and we collected fish and snails, some brackish fish were acclimate to fresh water and other fish are endemic

14The animals that were saved, were like a loan , wetlands gave us the opportunity to reproduce them.

Part of production were return to wetlandsThe other part were use to produce more

153) We are reproducing fish, snails and plants.

16I want to talk about Mayan apple snail:When it born, has a measure of 2 millimeters

2 mmeye17

Little eggs of Mayan apple snail18

Mayan Apple snail 4 months after19

Teeth of Mayan Apple Snail 204)We learned how to sale the plants, snails and fish When people ask us about where are these animals from, they were astonished when knew that are local species.

215)We are learning hydroponics and are including this technique in our pools.

22We are reproducing by pool23

500 plants24

1000 fish

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5000 snails26

And some money.27Using only28900 liters of water

by year

by pool29

=

That produce

FoodPetsHandcrafts

During one yearby pool

Take a showersameThat means take a shower 10 times is the same that produce food, pets and handcrafts during one year, by pool30How we did it?We optimize water management because our technique is by means of artificial wetlands; it makes cheap the production process and helps us to recycle water. 31Everybody in our pools have a relationship.

We feed fish

Snails eats fishs food wastes

Plants absorbs wastes of fish and snailsPlants give oxygen to water, snails and fish

Roots of plants are the Kinder Garden 32

Return to healthy wetlandsMore production For Sale

To water

33Long term commitmentThis year the mayor of Mrida (city of our state) donated to HUNAB a land to build an environmental theme park. This park will be a place dedicates to train children and people about environmental issues, especially water culture because of the importance of water to guarantee the development of coastal towns. In this park, HUNAB will include the labyrinth of water culture and the aquaculture-hydroponics program.

34In conclusionWe are saving biodiversity from wetlandsWe spread the importance of wetlandsWe learned and reproduce local biodiversity with aquaculture techniquesWe are including hydroponics techniquesWe are engaged government, local authorities, local media, our families and friends.This project can be develop in other states of Mexico and in other countries, using local biodiversity.

35Our hands may be smallbut our hearts are immense to take care of our grand mom Earth 36