By Julian Bayan

On January 30, science teacher Wendy Hagan held her annual Advanced Placement Environmental Science (APES) Expo. This year, Hagan hosted the Sustainable Agriculture and Ranch Fair and Expo, a project that is rooted in sustainability by exploring real-world environmental issues.

The purpose of this year’s APES expo was for students to showcase their sustainable ranch and farm plans, along with exploring land degradation problems and proper management practices to prevent such problems. 

“Land degradation” refers to the intrinsic value of natural land rendered “undesirable” due to a mix of negative human-induced processes and natural causes. This degradation hurts the agricultural sector, which in turn, impacts local communities and the world economy.

“[The Expo] also allows students a chance to engage with their peers, collaborate with others, use research-based solutions, and learn about environmental practices through the process of design and communication,” Hagan said.

The Expo highlights critical thinking skills as students learn about sustainability through researching and working with one another in this project to design a ranch. 

Although this is not the first APES Expo for Hagan and fellow science teacher Erica Brauer, this is the first year the Sustainable Agriculture and Ranch Fair and Expo has taken place, emphasizing real-world problems.

While stressing the importance of mitigating land degradation, the Expo simultaneously held a lively and fun atmosphere. At the event, students were found socializing with one another, highlighting that the expo can serve as an effective learning tool.

“In my opinion, I hope students have fun, learn about sustainability in food production and ranching, and understand that there is not one best plan or way to manage,” Hagan said. “However, there are best practices that can be used to tackle various land degradation problems.”

Practicing these skills throughout this project can help better prepare students for the upcoming AP Environmental Science exam, which is right around the corner in May. In addition, it sharpens their critical thinking skills.

“This project helped me think more out of the box scientifically because we had to design a ranch, showcasing how it turned from flat land to an efficient and sustainable farm,” junior Matthew De la Cruz said. 

Not only does Hagan’s APES expo help emphasize the importance of addressing multifaceted environmental issues and challenges but it also improves critical thinking and research skills, which helps foster a better understanding of important problems, such as land degradation.