Geodesic Greenhouses for Education - Pacific Domes of Oregon

THE BIODOME OUTDOOR CLASSROOM AT LILA SCHOOL…

Sentient Plant BioDome at the Los Feliz Campus by Pacific Domes

"At the Los Feliz campus we are very proud of our BioDome outdoor classroom.”

The Sentient Plant BioDome Project at Los Feliz campus in Los Angeles, California has a cool new device for measuring and recording electrical signals from plants.

The BioDome outdoor classroom learning environment affords students practical hands-on experience in understanding the sentient life of plants; thereby, deepening their appreciation and inter-connectedness with the natural world.

The Sentient Plant BioDome Project is made possible by Phytl Signs, a ‘wearable’ device for plants that measures and records electrical signals emitted by plants. At the BioDome outdoor classroom, students connect the Phytl Signs device to a clip that’s gently attached to a leaf on a plant; and subsequently, to a stake that’s driven into the soil right next to the plant… both sensors capture and amplify the electrical signals that plants emit in response to their environment.

Phytl Signs researchers claim that plants will fire off signals, based on conditions like light/darkness, damage to the plant, and much more. The signals are then transmitted to the Phytl Signs app on a student’s phone or tablet.

Through the Phytl Signs explorer app, students connect with the Phytl Signs ongoing research community to discuss plant signals, gaining insight into the exciting new frontier of decoding the mysteries of plant signals. The Phytl Signs explorer, developed by Vivent SARL, a Swiss company, recently launched a Kickstarter Campaign, featured under tech start-ups.

Students in the Sentient Plant BioDome Project at LILA have the opportunity to ask many important questions such as… Is your plant thriving or is it stressed? Is it active or quiet? Are pests damaging your plants?

Through their electrical signals plants show how they are responding to their environment. So, it’s more about interpreting signals than actually having a conversation with your plants?

While Vivent SARL says it can collect these signals, it admits that no one really knows what they mean just yet. “Ultimately, by decoding these signals, we could help ensure that the planetary ecosystem is thriving.” We could feed more people, reduce the scourge of plant diseases, minimize the wa


ter used in agriculture... the possibilities are really exciting for anyone interested in the environment, sustainability, the future of food and open agriculture.”

The BioDome outdoor classroom, created by Mileece for the Los Feliz campus is a tensegrity geodesic structure manufactured by Pacific Domes of Southern Oregon. Pacific Domes is an industry leader in the manufacture of eco-friendly and cost effective geo-engineered biodome prefab outdoor classrooms.

The Biodome space perfectly symbolizes the balance of the LILA School community and doubles as a safe haven for students to engage in mindfulness thru breathing exercises, mindful movement, mindful listening, practice in feeling gratitude and compassion. The soothing sound of running water from the stream, growing plants, animal and nature sounds, all provide sensory experiences that afford students and peers needed time-to-take-a-break from the monkey brain and focus on the peaceful now moment... “it is a very special place for students at LILA School, and they always look forward to visiting it.”


ABOUT LILA SCHOOL:

LILA SCHOOL (Lycée International de Los Angeles aka International School of Los Angeles) was established in 1978 as a non-profit organization by visionaries of varied cultural backgrounds who felt that the Los Angeles community needed a school which would prepare children for life in an increasingly international environment. The International School of Los Angeles is a 5-campus, international preschool thru 12th grade school, committed to academic excellence in a nurturing and intimate environment that encourages personal initiative, creativity and curiosity.

Students are challenged through the rigorous and well-balanced bilingual curricula of the French and International Baccalaureate institutions with a goal to develop confident, caring, and open-minded critical thinkers who will thrive in a diverse competitive world. At LILA school, they adopt ways of thinking and expression that reflect an appreciation for cultural differences and multiple world views.

Diverse groups learn more from each other when exchanging different points of view, introducing new pieces of information, and confronting alternative ideas. The school’s small and nurturing classes facilitate the sharing of different viewpoints.

Being immersed in a truly multicultural environment helps develop the ability to better understand one’s own culture – what makes it different, but also in which ways it is similar. This, in turn, helps maintain a strong sense of one’s own background.

Teachers, staff and students come from all over the world, each bringing their own experiences and perspectives. Students study and live in a world community every day. LILA school is now recognized as one of the most academically challenging private schools in the United States and continues its long commitment to academic excellence.