Shake, Rattle & Rainstick!

Last Friday I gave a presentation to the Martin County Library in Stanton. Being that we are still in a severe drought, I thought it might be good to make several rainsticks in hopes of receiving some rain. I think it might just work! Anyway, we talked about where rainsticks originate and how they have been passed down for generations. We read "The Rainstick, A Fable," and the kids really enjoyed it. After everyone learned what rainsticks were, we made our very own. Here are some pictures from the presentation. It was a blast!

The materials for the rainsticks: Duct tape, feathers, toilet paper holders, rubber bands and pinto beans.

Here are the ones I made. 

Everyone enjoyed personalizing their rainstick!

My favorite about this one is the "No Guys Allowed" sticker! haha. 

Why remember water this Fourth of July?

Remember this Fourth of July that water is in everything you eat and see! Whether you're eating watermelon or drinking lemonade, water made them delicious. Check out these three conservation tips:

1) When you're thawing meat for the big barbecue, pour the water used for thawing on a plant or tree outside.

2) Keeping drinks in a cooler for the picnic? Pour the ice and left over water on the lawn, rather than the sidewalk or street.

3) As you sit on the lawn for fireworks, know that every blade of grass took water to grow. 

Have a safe and happy fourth! 

SLUWCD & LEUWCD award $10,500 combined in scholarships

The Sandy Land UWCD and the Llano Estacado UWCD hosted their annual scholarship essay contest for high school seniors. As in many years past, the turnout and quality of submissions was exceptional. This year approximately 85 entries were submitted in total.

SLUWCD school districts include Denver City and Plains. Students from each school submitted entries in hopes of earning a scholarship. SLUWCD awarded $6,000 in scholarships.

Denver City High School

1) Kathryn English- recipient of $2,000 scholarship and attending West Texas A&M University
2) Jaci Zingerman- recipient of $1,000 scholarship and attending West Texas A&M University

Pictured (Left-right): Kathryn English (L), Jaci Zingerman (C) and Education Coordinator Adeline Fox (R).

Plains High School
1) Merrit Crump- recipient of $2,000 scholarship and attending Texas Tech University
2) Matthew Ramos- recipient of $1,000 scholarship and attending Texas Tech University

Adeline Fox and Merrit Crump 

Adeline Fox and Matthew Ramos

LEUWCD school districts include Loop, Seagraves and Seminole. Students from Loop and Seagraves submitted entries. Three scholarships were awarded to both of these school districts. Overall, LEUWCD awarded $4,500 in scholarships.

Loop High School
1st) Emily Whitfield- recipient of $1,000 scholarship and attending South Plains College
2nd) Kallee Foster- recipient of $750 scholarship and attending South Plains College
3rd) Veronika Conde- recipient of $500 scholarship and attending Midland College

Pictured: Veronika Conde (L), Kallee Foster (C) and Emily Whitfield (R)

Seagraves High School
1) Justine Negrete- recipient of $1,000 scholarship and attending South Plains College
2) Seth Barron- recipient of $750 scholarship and attending Evangel University
3) Gypsy Lovington- recipient of $500 scholarship and attending South Plains College

 Pictured: Gypsy Lovington (L), Seth Barron (C) and Justine Negrete (R)

 Congratulations to all of our winners!

Sandy Land UWCD & South Plains UWCD 2014 Calendar Winners

Check out these animated videos of the winning artwork for both water conservation calendars.

Sandy Land UWCD
Approximately 250 students submitted entries for the contest and here are the top 13.

South Plains UWCD
Approximately 345 students from Brownfield, Meadow & Wellman-Union submitted entries for the contest, and here are the top 13.

A Barrel Full of Information

The Permian Basin Underground Water Conservation District hosted their first Rainwater Harvesting Demonstration Thursday, May 16. Sixteen residents of Howard and Martin Counties attended the hour long informational session to receive a barrel full of information.

Howard County Master Gardener, Julie Coats, gave listeners information on everything from the basics of catching rain to the complex installations of having a large system. A demonstration followed that simulated rainfall on different types of ground cover. The demonstration showed runoff effects in rangeland grasses, exposed soil, turf grass and a solid surface. Most of the runoff occurred on the solid surface, making rain barrels even more useful to prevent the wasted water runoff.

Overall, the event was informative and provided great awareness about a practice that works well in West Texas. Now all we must do is pray for rain. Below are some pictures of the event. Enjoy! 

Title slide.

The display for the demonstration contained each type of ground cover.
From left to right: native rangeland, exposed soil, turf grass and a solid surface.

A broader look at the display. 

Master Gardener, Julie Coats, gives the rainwater harvesting presentation.

Pouring water into the containers created the rain simulation.

An explanation of the runoff effects.

Come & join us for a Rainwater Harvesting Demonstration in Stanton this Thursday!

Water in your body- How everything works better with water.

This schematic illustrates exactly how vital water is to our bodies. It is very important to stay hydrated at all times because every single part of our body relies on water to function. Check it out!

Photo credit: http://totallytots.blogspot.com/2009/03/did-you-know-water.html