The Symbiosis of Agrivoltaics

Today's post is brought to you by Environmental Math. Why? Because there's a high usage of "+" and "=" ahead to land on environmental science.

Here's the breakdown:

• Agrivoltaics = “agriculture” + “photovoltaics” = where the same land is used for both agricultural reasons and solar energy

• Photovoltaics = solar powered technology

• Symbiosis = an interactive relationship between 2 species (typically, but not always beneficial to both)  
• Examples:
• Bees and flowers = pollination + nectar
• Clownfish and sea anemones = protection + cleaning
• Oxpeckers birds and large mammals (ex: rhinos & zebras) = tick and parasite eating + tick and parasite removal 
• Acacia trees and ants = tree thorns protect the tree + provide shelter/feed the ants
  

• Mutualism = A form of symbiosis where 2 species benefit off each other

Given all of the above, here's this math:

Agrivoltaics = symbiosis = win + win

This image is a great example of the win, win of the symbiotic relationship between humans, land, and livestock:

Check out how the land is being used in a multitude of ways: grazing grass, growing crops, housing solar panels for generating energy which, in turn, have the panels creating shade for the animals. 

Additionally...

• The shade can also reduce water loss from the land. This, in turn, helps grow and support plants (the food source for animals) while simultaneously creating less need for irrigation.
• Overall soil moisture helps increase biodiversity on the land. 
• As the sheep, goats, cows, etc graze the land, the grass is kept trimmed, reducing the need to mow.

It showcases a sharing of the land versus a competition on how to use the land. It provides a man-made version of symbiosis and mutualism. It's teamwork at its finest. Win, win, win!

Playing around with my new best friend, Canva Code, I created this upper elementary/middle school level interactive which can further help the concepts of agrivoltaics sink in. To go directly to the site to see it screen-sized or to link to it in your own classroom, click here.

Teaching Agrivoltaics and Natural Symbiosis by Vicki Dabrowka, created using Canva Code.

Eager to learn more about agrivoltaics? Here are some excellent resources:

• University of Illinois' ‘My Agrivoltaic Farm’ Game: Learning, Fun, and Sustainability — All in One or download My Agrivoltaic Farm from either the Google Play Store or the Apple Store to play a simulation game foccused on "the interaction between crops and solar panels, supporeted by the scientific research" from the U of  I to "discover how sustainable agriculture and renewable energy can work together to create a greener future."  

• Learn more at NREL's "Lighting the Way for Agrivoltaics: How NREL Empowers Communities To Capture the Benefits of Solar Energy, Agriculture, and Ecosystems" (NREL is the U.S. Department of Energy's primary national laboratory for energy systems.)

• Check out Agrovoltaics 101 from the Colorado Agrivoltaic Learning Center. 

Images from Sesame Street Meme created at https://imgflip.com/memegenerator/386226374/Today-brought-to-you-by, https://www.nrel.gov/news/detail/program/2024/clean-energy-to-communities-agrivoltaics-101-resources-provide-a-guide-toward-implementation, Interactive created Using Canva Code: https://www.canva.com/design/DAGtbRufnz0/_issmFJHlqeFlQnyj4Wikg/view?utm_content=DAGtbRufnz0&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=embeds&utm_source=link

Outdoor Groups Supporting & Celebrating Diversity

I am a firm believer of "representation matters." 

I ran across this Field Mag article on the Children & Nature Facebook page, and felt it was the perfect follow up to my pride Month post: "Pride Month: Out In the Wild." In the article, aptly named "28 LGBTQ+ Outdoor Groups Supporting & Celebrating Diversity in Nature," you get the location, mission, structure, Instagram page, and a donation link to 28 LGBTQ+ friendly organizations. The list is divided into both national organizations and regional groups.

Additionally, from Children & Nature's "LGBTQIA+ Youth & The Importance of Safe, Outdoor Spaces Stat Sheet" (see the side bar on this page), these statistics further emphasize why both representation and finding affinity groups is important: 

• 5% US high school teens are questioning their gender identity.
• 9.5% US teens (aged 13-17) identify as gay, bisexual, or transgender
• LGBTQ+ teens are twice as likely to feel sad, depressed, or a sense of hopelessness than their straight peers.
• 52% people aged 14-24 identified spending time in nature as improving their sense of calm and overal mental health.
• Suicide attempts are 2.5 times higher among LGBTQ+ teens who do NOT feel they are respected for their identity and pronouns than their LGBTQ peers who are.

So what are you into? Hiking? Camping? Adventure trips? Surfing? Snowboarding? Skateboarding? Climbing? Outdoor education? Communing with nature? Connection with a view? Community with a social justice slant? Environmental stewardship? If you are in LGBTQ+ and in need of finding "your people," definitely check out Field Mag's article "28 LGBTQ+ Outdoor Groups Supporting & Celebrating Diversity in Nature." 

Honoring & supporting pride should not be merely one month!

Image from https://www.fieldmag.com/articles/lgbtq-outdoor-groups-nonprofits

Plastic-Eating Microbes to the Rescue!

Not all heroes wear capes... nor are they all "larger than life." 

They may in fact be microscopic... and they maybe bit-sized bacteria. Bioengineered to eat their way through problems, these mini-sized superheroes are environmental problem solvers.... designed to digest plastic waste!

In an innovative twist, there is a growing field of science dedicated to the microscopic solution to a major problem: plastic pollution. Scientists are working to "genetically train" minuscule bacteria (called microbes) to break down PET plastic, which is the plastic used in soda bottles, clam-shell style plastic food containers, and synthetic fibered fabrics. 

Yes, it sounds more like science-fiction than science. 

But it is not new, and dates back to over two decades:

• In 2001, Japanese scientists led by Kohei Oda discovered a collection of bacteria at a garbage area that were degrading plastic. "Eating" it, if you will. As they consumed this plastic trash, it led to the bacteria to grow and multiply. 
• Scientific research over time led to the 2016 discovery by Kohei Oda and Kazumi Hiraga that the microbe Ideonella sakaiensis' enzymes could break down PET plastic. This in turn served as energy for the microbes.

Working in labs through research like this, scientists have discovered that they could help fast-track this process through genetic engineering. This "superpower" of science, combined with technology, helps speed up the process, helping to power through the plastic pollution problem. Of course, "speeding up" is all relative as it is currently still a rather slow process.

There's a name for this: biorecycling. It also could potentially help turn the plastic waste into new products, which ultimately saves resources down the line. Biorecycling is an emerging and growing field, so it not an overnight solution, Yet, it does open up possibilities of cleaning up oil spills, eliminating microplastics from water sources, and helping tackle hard-to-recycle materials. Additionally, with it being a new-technology, there are a lot of unknowns. Last thing anyone wants is for a solution to create new problems. Especially environmentally. (We've all seen the damage invasive species can do. Take Kudzu, Spotted Lanternflies, and Asian Carp for example.)

But it's hopeful to see a shift in the idea of "waste" as an end product. Rather than a dead end, it shifts to a "circular economy" model, transforming an item into something new rather than ending it in waste and pollution. Kind of nice to have a clean up crew of nature's tiny microbes!

Check out the clickable interactive below to learn more about how microbes can eat their way to our environmental solutions. I like the idea of having a shrinky-dink-sized clean up crew of nature's superheroes!

Click here for a screen-sized version of Microbes and How Microbes Eat Waste Digestion: Evolution and Engineering Concepts by Vicki Dabrowka

To do a deep dive into a some of the scientific research, check out these articles:

• Guardian's ‘We Are Just Getting Started’: The Plastic-Eating Bacteria That Could Change the World (9/23/2023)
• Eco-bees' Engineered Microorganisms (2025)
• University of Edinburgh's Microbes Transform Plastic Waste Into Paracetamol (6/23/2025)
• Nature Biotechnology's Plastic-Eating Bacteria Boost Growing Business of Bioremediation (9/23/2024)

Image created at Canva.com using the Magic Media tools; Interactive created in Canva.com using Canva Coding on June 23, 2025 with the following prompt: "Create an interactive HTML concept map showing how microbes evolved or were engineered to "digest" waste at a 5th grade reading level.Let students click each part of the images to reveal a short explanation." Circular vs linear economy image from https://www.facebook.com/storyofstuff/posts/pfbid0Gk9nmV5yx7vqS7jATiTxoL3arLuJo1aq7pBnPWZSdvggdUcqcwyHSWs8VQwG183Fl

Animal Habitats Matching Game

Canva is my go-to place for making all things beautiful: presentations, class signs, image creation, graphic organizers, and more. I've written about it time and again.

With the influx of AI and the integration of AI tools in so many educational platforms over the last two years, Canva has done a great job of keeping pace. They've added to their "magic tools" in many ways, and it has been fun exploring them--especially the Canva Code--to see what potential they have. It's been a good way to learn along the way how to make tools that could be useful in the classroom. (See these posts for other interactives I've created this summer using Canva Coding: Independence Day & The Declaration of Interdependence and Plastic Eating Microbes to the Rescue one.)

This Animal Habitats Matching game is my latest adventure. Geared to the 4th or 5th grade level, this game was created using their "Canva Coding" tool. It started with the prompt: "Design an interactive matching game for 4th or 5th graders about animal habitats, with images of animals and their natural environments. Provide immediate feedback for correct and incorrect answers." Of course, it took a lot of tweaking, at least 6 versions, and hundreds of line of code for this game to pop out. I'm pleased with the outcome! The beauty of this drag-and-drop game is that it does all of the following:

• teaches animal habitats in a hands-on, interactive fashion;
• provides instant feedback for both correct and incorrect answers--while also keeping score of correct matches and attempts;
• provides hints when needed and positive reinforcement for learning;
• saves teachers time in creation of materials.

Make sure to take time to play. To see a larger version for an easier play, click here.

Animal Habitats Matching Game Design by Vicki Dabrowka, using Canva.com's Canva Code element.

Image from https://www.geeky-gadgets.com/canva-create-2025-canva-code/