Getting Hands-on with Groundwater

by Jennifer Wemhoff, The Groundwater Foundation

Kids aren't the only ones who can have fun getting hands-on with groundwater. Groundwater Foundation staff recently presented information to adults about groundwater, contaminant sources, and how to take action to protect groundwater at work, at home, and in the community.

Staff from the City of Lincoln Parks and Recreation Department utilized the Awesome Aquifer kits to see how groundwater moves and is connected to surface water, and how contaminants can impact groundwater supplies.

Staff then learned about potential hazards that exist around the home - things like improperly stored chemicals, leaking oil from vehicles, over-application of fertilizers - and their impact on stormwater. They drew a picture of a house, then used washable markers to represent the potential contaminants. When a squirt bottle "rained" on the drawing, the contaminants ran off the house and into the aquifers, showing the connection to groundwater contamination.

The Groundwater Foundation also presented the Park Districts and Municipal Golf Program with their Groundwater Guardian Green Site designation for 2014, recognizing them for their groundwater stewardship on parks and golf courses throughout the City of Lincoln.

The presentation was part of a project funded by the Nebraska Environmental Trust. Thanks Lincoln Parks and Rec for a fun morning, and congratulations on your Green Site designation! Keep up the great work.

Share Your Story!

2015 is here and we are really, really excited about it!  This year marks our 30th anniversary - 30 years of educating and inspiring people to protect and conserve groundwater for future generations. 

So, we want to celebrate it by celebrating YOU!  All that YOU have done, learned and/or shared about protecting and conserving groundwater is worthy of recognition and celebration. We want to share YOUR stories and inspire others.

We’re asking you to send us your story, or stories if you have more than one to share.  Tell us about a recent event, an unexpected outcome, a difference you have made in your community, why groundwater is important to you and your community, why you do what you do, or how you got involved in groundwater protection and education.

Your story can be:

• A traditional written story (around 250-500 words if possible) 
• A poem
• A comic strip or drawing
• Pictures (ideally with some captions to give us context)
• A video (around 3 minutes or less)
• An infographic
• Something else - surprise us with your creativity!

You get the gist – we want to hear from you and make it easy for you to tell your story.  If you don’t have the time to put it into a “story” simply send us bullet points with the pertinent information (and if possible, a picture or two) and we can write the story for you - we just want to make sure your story is told!

FIND OUT MORE. IMPORTANT – The deadline to submit stories is February 10, 2015!

If you have any questions don’t hesitate to contact us at 402-434-2740 or info@groundwarter.org.

Let’s make this a great year!  

New Program Manager!

By: Anthony Lowndes, The Groundwater Foundation

Having grown up in the outdoors I learned at a young age the importance and interconnectedness of our environment. I used to love playing in the rain and marveled at the amount or water running into the gutters and streams in my neighborhood. As I grew older and became more familiar with the pressures and threats our natural resources face, I realized that water is our most precious resource. Our access to safe, clean drinking water is something that many people take for granted. As a program manager I am proud to be a part of an organization that helps people understand where their water comes from and how they can be a part of protecting it. I look forward to being involved in several programs working to educate students, educators and communities on how to protect their groundwater resources.

Happy New Year!

by Lori Davison, The Groundwater Foundation

 

As I rang in the new year a little over a week ago, ideas ran through my mind about what resolutions I would attempt this year.  The usual came to mind—lose weight, exercise more, organize household items, and downsize my closet to name a few.  But then I thought about it more and decided to expand my horizons this year to more meaningful and productive things that would have a more lasting footprint.  So what would be more meaningful than the environment to be my focus for the new year!  Below is a list of things I will do that will make a difference, but I challenge everyone to do the same to make the world a better place in 2015!

 

Ø  Recycle and reuse

Ø  Take shorter showers and use a low flow shower head

Ø  Shut water off while brushing teeth

Ø  Combine errands to save fuel

Ø  Check out The Groundwater Foundation’s website for more information – www.groundwater.org

Ø  Share information learned with others