World's First Vertical Indoor Strawberries in Richmond

 

As school agriculture and other STEM programs increasingly experiment with indoor vertical farming, the world’s first large-scale indoor vertical farm for strawberries is set to open in Richmond, Virginia, in early 2025, providing an impressive commercial example. Using 30-foot towers, it will produces over 4 million pounds of strawberries annually on less than an acre of land. This innovative method reduces water use by 90%, land use by 97%, and eliminates the need for pesticides, showcasing a sustainable future for farming.

Invention Virginia / Invention DC Regional Expos - April 5 (UPDATED)

 Acknowledging regional educators' concerns for scheduling between seasonal holidays, Invention Virginia and Invention DC have rescheduled one week earlier on April 5, 2025.  

The deadline for registering for the online Virginia Statewide Convention remains April 21, 2025. 

Participation in a regional expo is not required to register for the state convention.

More details are available at https://inventionvirginia.net/ or by email at team@InventionVirginia.net. 

Mailing list: Click here!

Virginia Tech STEM Discovery Fair - March 1, 2025

See the newly opened Innovation Campus building while learning about great STEM education opportunities in the Northern Virginia Region.

The VT STEM Discovery Fair, which will take place on Saturday, March 1, 2025, from 2:30 PM to 5:30 PM. 

The event will be located at Virginia Tech Innovation Campus, 3625 Potomac Avenue, Alexandria, VA 22305  The Campus is a 4-minute walk from Potomac Yard Metro, and paid parking is available. 

This event is collaboratively organized by College Access Collaboratives, College of Engineering, the College of Sciences, and the Innovation Campus.

Virginia Tech's Innovation Campus Grand Opening - February 28

 Register here: 
https://www.vt.edu/innovationcampus/centerofnext/opening.html 

How Does Climate Change Affect Tick Habitat and the Spread of Lyme Disease in Georgia?

 How Does Climate Change Affect Tick Habitat and the Spread of Lyme Disease in Georgia?

By: Nidhi Gadekar, January 22, 2025

Introduction

As global temperatures rise due to climate change, one of the issues the world faces is the spread of Lyme disease. Lyme disease is a bacterial infection caused by Borrelia burgdorferi and transmitted through the bite of infected black-legged ticks (Ixodes scapularis). It’s the most vector-borne disease in the United States, with approximately 476,000 Americans diagnosed and treated annually, according to the CDC.  It is most commonly found in the Northeast, mid-Atlantic, and Upper Midwest regions in the U.S., but Lyme disease is even greater in central and eastern European countries.

(Source: Blacklegged Tick Surveillance)

While Lyme disease is traditionally common in cooler regions like the Northeastern U.S., it is becoming a growing concern for Southern States such as Georgia. This is particularly alarming because Lyme disease can cause debilitating long-term complications if not treated early. Understanding how climate change influences the spread of Lyme disease in traditionally warmer climates is essential for public health preparedness and prevention. In this post, we’re advocating for the exploration of how climate change is expanding tick habitats, tick prevalence, and population density, in Georgia and the role of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in understanding and managing the potential for increased Lyme disease risk. 

Overview of Lyme disease

Lyme disease can be characterized by two stages: 

• In the early stage (3-30 days post-bite), the patient has symptoms such as fever, chills, headaches, fatigue, and an erythema migrans rash, which has a bull's-eye appearance.