Announcing program and launching journey

Today the experiment grant award was announced on the Nest Makerspace website and a supply list is being formed. As soon as funds are received, a Glowforge laser cutter will be the first item ordered for the makerspace, it will be very useful for making kit components.

 

some initial kit explorations that will be refined and added to.

 

Above: Timeline for project

 

above: the Nest Makerspace whilch was built and completed in late September 2023. This, in combination with our lanai garage, will be where most of the R&D development of the kits will be conducted.

Adding to the potential kit activities is a project I am modifying for a Hawai'i context in collaboration with BioJam Camp teens of Migrant Ed (Region XVI), Dr. Callie Chappell and Anastacia Del Rio, of Stanford. Several of the BioJam Camp teens have Hawai'i connections. One had spend his early childhood in Lahaina and Anastacia Del Rio's father and grandparent are from Kauai. The project we are exploring is growing Wiliwili seeds (an endangered endemic Hawaiian tree) in a low cost DIY root study device that uses hydrogel beads which are hydrated with home made locally sourced natural liquid fertilizers made of banana, seaweed, and chicken egg shells. We are fortunate to have been gifted Wiliwili seeds from the Aloha Tree Allicance.

 

Wiliwili seeds

 

Wiliwili seed planted in hydrogel beads and a small bit of lava rock. When water is added, the refraction index of the beads match the water so any roots growing will be clearly visible.

 

the DIY liquid fertlizers created to hydrate the hydrogel beads.

This activity, (originally designed for Xinampa Community Biolab and revised with BioJam Campers), is designed to enable the observation of roots. 80% of a plant's mass is typically found underground. How can we have a window onto this hidden world?

By placing seeds in nutrient filled clear hydrogel beads, we can observe root growth and learn how we can provide the best natural sustainable nutrients, while drawing upon ancestral and contemporary knowledge. (An instagram post on this collaborative project). A visual step by step guide will be created.

Today an interesting observation was made as after four days of being planted in the hydrogel beads, the test Wiliwili seed's bright red color is seeping into the hydrogel beads and the seed is swelling.