M·CAM Inc. Team Members to Help Build Greenhouse out of Recycled Glass

Date:  Mon, 2011-06-06

Charlottesville, VA & Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia –

In the Summer of 2010 M·CAM team members Dr. David Martin and Ken Dabkowski traveled to Dalanzadgad, Mongolia to visit the South Gobi Desert. During the course of their travels, they were able to interact with local Mongolian agricultural workers who expressed their desire to extend the growing season for their tree seedlings and vegetables. It wasn’t long before they began realized how M·CAM”˜s Heritable Innovation Trust Program could be valued and utilized within the country of Mongolia. Dr. Martin and Ken identified a pathway for aligning the desires of Mongolian agriculture workers with the country’s abundant resource of glass to the development of a valuable technology: by melting down glass bottles and creating greenhouses.

The network for the project began expanding as Ken contacted Bill Hess, a glass engineer from Afton, VA. Soon after, the project caught the interest of students from the University of Virginia (Jefferson Public Citizens Group). Glass samples were shipped from Mongolia to the M·CAM offices to test. Under the direction and guidance of Bill, the students had the ability to participate in melting and testing glass samples as well as welding a test model greenhouse.

In the Fall of 2010, Ken attended Professor Bob Swap’s course entitled “Development on the Ground” through the University of Virginia. This course allowed students to assemble and collaborate on globally imperative projects. Ken Dabkowski introduced this group of students to the Mongolia greenhouse challenge which sparked enthusiasm and interest. The group applied for a Jefferson’s Public Citizen’s Grant which was approved and awarded in February of 2011. In the Spring of 2011, the group tested technology and finalized plans. For the next month, the same team will be in Mongolia working to build the green house. At the end of the month they will be joined by M·CAM’s 2011 Heritable Innovation Trust Internship Team.

For more information about Greenhouse Project: www.globalinnovationcommons.org. For more information on the 2011 Heritable Innovation Trust Internship Program, www.heritableinnovationtrust.org