Friday, October 29, 2010

Making a Positive Impact

Diverse sites from around the country are making strides to implement groundwater and environmentally-friendly practices on their site. As part of the Groundwater Guardian Green Site application process, sites provide documentation about the impact of their activities, and the cumulative results are impressive!
Since the program began, participating Green Sites have documented:
  • A reduction in fertilizer use of 768,788 pounds. The majority of sites base fertilizer amounts on a nutrient analysis.
  • A reduction in pesticide use of 35.77%. 
  • A savings of 372,796,204 gallons of water by tracking usage, modifying practices when necessary, and choosing plants adapted to the region's climate that require lower inputs.
  • The proper disposal of potentially toxic materials, including 13,110 pounds of batteries, 13, 874 gallons of oil, 835 tires, 140 gallons of antifreeze, 33, 604 pounds of hazardous waste, and 36,047 pounds of other materials.
Sites have made changes to improve their environmental practices, including implementing recycling programs, planting native vegetation, reducing or discontinuing fertilizer usage, updating irrigation equipment, implementing water conservation initiatives, creating wildlife habitat, converting managed areas to low or no-mow areas, and instituting education programs for site staff and visitors.

We at The Groundwater Foundation are proud of the efforts of these sites, and look forward to recognizing their good work now and into the future. We know there are more sites out there doing great things for the environment – help us add to these impressive statistics by getting these sites involved in the Green Site program! Interested sites can check out the Groundwater Guardian Green Site portion of The Groundwater Foundation’s website at www.groundwater.org/gg/greensites.html to find the program application, see a list of participating sites, and to find out more, or contact us at 1-800-858-4844 or guardian@groundwater.org.

Friday, October 15, 2010

LEAP into Groundwater

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by Jamie Oltman, The Groundwater Foundation

I recently spent some time with a group of middle school students in their garden club planting bulbs in their school’s courtyard. These students were excited about what they were doing, deciding where to plant and learning how to correctly plant the bulbs. The students were involved in measuring the precise distant between and depth of the holes, digging the holes and making sure they were covered and watered before the end of the hour the club meets. Each student was enthused about being there and participating in this project, especially that they were doing something for their school.

As we dug holes we found insects and worms. We also found various different layers in the shallow holes that were dug, soil on the top to clay as you dug a bit deeper. When someone found something interesting the rest of the group would run over to see. The students were taking it all in, they were learning yet didn’t even realize that they were. It was inspiring to spend time with these students as they learned and worked together.

I will be visiting their school in the future to help jump start their new environmental leadership club, LEAP. LEAP stands for Learn, Educate, Act and Protect. Students who participate will learn more about water and the environment through hands-on activities. Students will then take what they have learned and educate others in their school or community. Then they will act and protect, working together to complete an environmental stewardship project. Just the short time I spent with these students I am looking forward to working with them through LEAP. Stay tuned to see what happens as they LEAP into groundwater.

To learn more about LEAP visit http://www.groundwater.org/pe/LEAP.html.

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

CHILDREN'S HEALTH DAY - October 4, 2010

President Obama has proclaimed October 4, 2010 as Children’s Health Day! The presidential proclamation calls upon families, child health professionals, community organizations and governments to help ensure clean air, safe water and healthy communities for our nation’s children.


As a parent, our children’s health is our top priority from birth. There are many things we do every day to make sure that they live in a clean, safe environment. One of the most important things we can do to keep our children healthy is make sure the water they drink is clean and safe to drink.

Groundwater provides 51% of all the drinking water for the total population and 99% of drinking water for the rural population. Our city water departments monitor our water supply to make sure it is safe to drink. The rural population who get their water from private wells needs to have their wells tested annually to ensure the quality is safe for drinking.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is asking all Americans to join them this month and every month in making our communities across the country healthier places to live, learn and play for our children and future generations. See the link below for 31 tips to help keep our children healthy and safe. What other tips can you share for keeping the environment safe for our children?

Have a safe and healthy month!

http://yosemite.epa.gov/ochp/ochpweb.nsf/content/CHM_Calendar_English_2010_508_2.htm/$File/CHM_Calendar_English_2010_508_2.pdf?Open&preview