Lone Star College-Montgomery students, staff, and, faculty are invited to “Discover Aquaponics” during a special all-day workshop on Friday, September 13, in the Health Science Center (Building B), Room 102.

The cost of the workshop is $75 per person (students, staff, and faculty) with a valid Lone Star College identification card, and a limited number of student scholarships are available through the college. Community members are also welcome to attend at the regular cost of $249 per person.

Leading aquaponics expert Murray Hallam will teach the basics needed to understand, build, and operate an aquaponics system, which cultivates plants and aquatic animals in as little as one-tenth of water needed for traditional crop production and without the use of chemicals. The workshop will present the different methods of aquaponics practiced today and when best to use them, as well as cycling a new system, system parameters, system design, water chemistry, protected aquaponics, dragon heaters, fish and plants, and much more.

Hallam, who is from Australia, discovered aquaponics in early 2006. As a pioneer of this growing industry, he shares his knowledge worldwide via a blog, forum, YouTube, and trainings.

The workshop is sponsored by The Aquaponics Institute.

For scholarship availability, contact Dr. Daniel Kainer, director of LSC-Montgomery’s biotechnology institute, at (936) 273-7060 or Daniel.B.Kainer@LoneStar.edu.

The Aquaponics Institute is also offering a two-day “Discover Aquaponics Extended” training, which will provide more in-depth information and hands-on training. Two sessions are available, either Saturday, September 14, and Sunday, September 15; or Monday, September 16, and Tuesday, September 17.

The two-day workshops take place at LSC-Montgomery and Green Life Aquaponics in Spring. The regular cost of each two-day workshop is $485 per person; however, interested students are eligible to receive a $100 discount by completing an online application through The Aquaponics Institute. Those interested in the two-day workshop can view the itinerary at www.aquaponicsinstitute.com/event/2013-tx-dae.

For more information or to register, visit www.aquaponicsinstitute.com. Learn more about Hallam’s knowledge via his YouTube channel MurrayPonics at www.YouTube.com/user/MurrayPonics.

LSC-Montgomery is located at 3200 College Park Drive, one-half mile west of Interstate 45, between Conroe and The Woodlands. For more information about the college, call 936.273.7000, or visit www.LoneStar.edu/montgomery.

Lone Star College System has been opening doors to a better community for 40 years. Founded in 1973, LSCS remains steadfast in its commitment to student success and credential completion. Today, with 78,000 students in credit classes, and a total enrollment of more than 90,000, Lone Star College System is the largest institution of higher education in the Houston area and the fastest-growing community college system in the nation. Dr. Richard Carpenter is the chancellor of LSCS, which consists of six colleges including LSC-CyFair, LSC-Kingwood, LSC-Montgomery, LSC-North Harris, LSC-Tomball and LSC-University Park, five centers, LSC-University Center at Montgomery, LSC-University Center at University Park, Lone Star Corporate College, and LSC-Online. To learn more visit LoneStar.edu.