Engineering a Sapling Guard Using Recycled Materials
Tree protection at Northridge High School.Copyright Allison, Shane 7 Nov 2023
Students become engineers whose goal is to research, plan, design, build, test, and improve a mitigation structure/device for fruiting trees/plants in their early stages of growth (sapling) to prevent crop loss. Each group focuses on a different region in the world to research the trees, environmental conditions, causes of crop or tree loss, and available reusable materials. They then engineer a structure that improves the safety of the saplings, while also maintaining the conditions necessary for plant growth, using the six most common types of single-use plastic waste identified by the United Nations Environmental Program. Students use the engineering design process to create, test, and improve their devices.
As the global population increases, so does the amount of waste produced and the natural resources required to sustain it. This has a profoundly negative impact on the natural environment. Environmental engineers provide innovative solutions that focus on sustainability and improve the health of the global ecosystem. This includes finding ways to reuse waste products to decrease reliance on existing natural resources or developing products/strategies to minimize the convergence of humans and the natural world so that the health of both is maintained.
After this activity, students should be able to:
- Understand and use the engineering design process.
- Have a basic knowledge of a region’s ecology as it pertains to fruiting trees and threats to fruiting trees.
- Develop a relevant and appropriate solution to reduce sapling mortality.
- Communicate findings and work collaboratively.