Lacombe Composite High School’'s EcoVision Club was presented with a $5,500 donation from the TD Friends of the Environment Foundation this morning for the group's aquaponics and micro-greens project.

Aquaponics is a combination of aquaculture and hydroponics. It's a method of growing food, by raising fish and converting their fecal matter into nutrients for vegetables. The water is then recycled for the fish.

Grade 10 student Darcy Cunningham says the technique can reduce water usage by 70 per cent.

“Plants will also usually grow a bit healthier and faster because they can get the water whenever they want instead of when you choose to water them,” Cunningham says.

The club also recently received a $3,100 grant from Lacombe County.

Teacher Steven Schultz says the funds will help offset the project’s $10,000 cost and help pay for ongoing costs like fish food and supplementary nutrients like calcium and iron.

The TD Friends of the Environment Foundation was established in 1990. Since then, it has awarded $89 million for environmental projects.