Today, twenty environmental engineering students from the regional technical university in Ciudad Valles visited the Centro de Agricultura Regenerativa de la Huasteca (CDARH) for their water quality field practice. Accompanied by two faculty members, the students began the day with a group discussion led by CDARH staff, Amanda Lewis Vega, Jose Luis Briones Ramos, and Steven Lewis. The discussion focused on the crucial role that environmental engineers will play in addressing global environmental challenges. The CDARH team shared insights from their international experiences, emphasizing the growing demand for environmental expertise and encouraging the students to seek out opportunities beyond their immediate surroundings.
Jose Luis Briones Ramos then gave the students a comprehensive tour of the center, explaining how its various components are geared towards advancing regenerative agriculture. The students were particularly interested in the center’s soil revitalization projects, which include biochar production, hot composting, vermicomposting, and other microbe-rich soil amendments. Jose Luis also introduced them to the center’s vetiver grass propagation project, highlighting its applications in biocontrol, bioremediation, and erosion prevention.
After the tour and an engaging Q&A session, the group moved to the nearby river resort area to take water samples for analysis. The faculty provided detailed instructions on proper sampling techniques, ensuring the students understood how to collect and transport samples to the laboratory. Each student collected their own sample for later comparison between the center’s upstream location and the downstream samples near the university campus. Under the faculty's guidance, the students conducted a preliminary water quality analysis using field instrumentation, practicing their skills in a real-world setting.
As the day concluded, the students, faculty, and CDARH staff gathered for a reflective discussion on the day's learning experiences. All agreed that the hands-on field practice had been invaluable, reinforcing the importance of stepping outside the classroom for experiential learning. It was a productive and inspiring collaboration, and everyone involved expressed hope that this would be the first of many future joint learning opportunities.
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