Engineered Ecosystems

Before colonization, Indigenous groups had established principles that kept humans and nature intertwined in complex but balanced relations. “Engineered landscapes” such as controlled burns, clam gardens on the Pacific coast, and agricultural islands in Mexico’s lakes created artificial ecosystems that were both productive and sustainable. The science of aquaponics has recreated this approach by mixing fish cultivation and hydroponic plant growth. In this website you can learn more about the Indigenous tradition of engineered ecosystems, and create your own hydroponics system with electronic sensing to keep the system in balance.