Yoakum SWCD 2010 Conservation Jamboree

The Sandy Land UWCD participated in the Yoakum SWCD 2010 Conservation Jamboree this past Friday. We always enjoy going to this event and talking with the 4th & 5th graders from Denver City & Plains. There were several business and individuals who presented in their area of expertise. Presentors & topics included


Bugs & Things – Manda Cattaneo -AgrilLife Extension Service
Farm Equipment – Curt Summer – South Plains Implement
Rain Simulator – Matt Pruner – NRCS
Branding Cattle – Chip Bennett – Yoakum County Rancher
Water - Crystal Hogue- Sandy Land Underground Water District
Spices - Jarrod Chestnut - Southwest Spice
Honey & Bees - Dennis Ross
Peanuts – Golden Peanuts – Steve and Riley
Wildlife – Vicki Sybert - Texas Park & Wildlife
Cotton Gin – Martin Lefevere – Farm Bureau
Weather- Cary Allen-TV Channel 11 in Lubbock

This year I wanted to do something more interactive with the kids, especially since I was scheduled to talk after the “Bee Man”. I decided to concentrate on the topic of rainwater harvesting while still stressing the importance of water conservation. The students seemed to enjoy learning about the rainwater harvesting process and asked a lot of questions.

I ended the presentation with an activity that the students seemed to enjoy. They had to "harvest" rain, or my crafty version of rain, in cups. The students then passed the cups filled with rain to their classmates assembled in a line. At the end of the line their teammates were holding a gutter, or once again my crafty version of a gutter. The students had to pour the rain into the gutters and then into their teams rain barrel or bucket. The team that harvested the most rain water after four minutes won.

LEUWCD & PBUWCD Art Contest

The 4th annual Art contest is taking place at the Llano Estacado Underground Water Conservation District and the Permian Basin Underground Water Conservation District. Below are the 2010 LEUWCD and PBUWCD Calendar Art Contest Grand Prize Winners.

Each water conservation district within the education cooperative sponsors an art contest for fourth and fifth grade students. The program communicates the message of water conservation to the schools by giving a detailed and interactive presentation. Winning artwork is featured in a calendar published by each district and offered free to the public.


The first place winner in each district receives a $50 cash prize, a certificate of recognition and has his or her artwork featured on the cover of the calendar. Twelve second place winners each receive a $25 cash prize, a certificate of recognition and have their artwork featured on one month inside the calendar.



The 2011 winning pictures will be featured on the Education website soon at www.savingh2o.org. We will also post the winning pictures on an upcoming blog.

Kids Say The Craziest Things

The past few weeks have been so busy for me. We had three playa festivals, three conservation jamborees, high school art contest and now our PBUWD & LEWUCD Art contest. (wipe sweat from brow)


Having been in and out of what seems like 100 schools, this month , I have had a chance to get to know some of our kids MORE than i want to. No matter where I go, i always have that one student who wants to tell me their life story. I ALWAYS listen close because you never know what is going to come out of their mouths.

So without further ado...i wanted to share with you some of the crazy stories I have heard from our 4th and 5th graders.

1: While looking at a playa in Brownfield a girl asked me "Mrs, what is that brown rock?" I responded "Ummm...i am pretty sure that is cow poop."

2: A 4th grader explained to me how her Mom likes to wear a lot of makeup and they go driving around in her car to see if truck drivers will honk at them. HAHAHA

3: Today, some of my old students saw me in their school hall. They ran up to me and said "Mrs. Hogue i love you hair and your shirt." I wasn't sure how i felt about someone half my age complimenting my outfit. Hummm....might need to update my closet.

4: While looking for frogs at Meadow a group of boys coming running up to me fighting over one small tiny toad. They keep telling the boy holding the frog to let one of them have it to keep. The boy with the toad tells the other boys " I am sorry but I caught this frog for Mrs. Hogue to have." Ohhhh thanksssss

5: MY ALL TIME FAVORITE..... While walking alone at Rich Lake, outside of Brownfield, a little boy ran up to me and said "Mrs. Hogue you should stay close to me because i am a trained boyscout." It took everything I had not to laugh. We spent the next 20 minutes talking about all the badges he has received while being a boyscout.

Kids Kows & More: Brownfield

Yesterday, the SPUWCD presented at the Kids Kows & More program in Brownfield. Students from Wellman-Union, Meadow & Brownfield listened to presentations about cheese, beef, rainwater harvesting and forestry.

As usual, I was not able to take many pictures of the presentations because i busy presenting myself. BUT i did get a few shots when we traveled to the Meadow Farmers Co-op Gin, for a tour.

Dan Jackson, the Gin Manager, walked the students through the gin so they could see first hand how cotton is processed. Being a cotton farmers wife, I was excited for the students to see everything that it takes to produce a bale of cotton. Agriculture is such a huge part of our communities in West Texas, and i think Mr. Jackson made the students appreciate all the hard work that goes into the cotton ginning process.