FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Three Hill Country Schools Win Rainwater Revival
Grants to Fund Water Conservation Projects
(June 3,
2014) Austin, TX – Impressed by the quality of proposals for its
rainwater harvesting and conservation grant program, the Hill Country Alliance
is awarding three – instead of the planned two – $1,000 Rainwater Revival grants
to Hill Country schools to help teachers and students design and implement
water-saving techniques.
The
5th annual Revival, planned for October 25 in Dripping Springs, is a
day-long edu-fest that brings together experts to help families and businesses
learn how to harvest rainwater for in-home and outdoor use. This year’s grants
brings to 13 the number of schools that have benefited from the auction of
professionally designed and painted rain barrels – rain barrel art – at each
fall event since 2010.
“Our judges
were overwhelmed by the quality of applications we received and very
appreciative of all the schools that want to teach conservation through hands-on
projects,” said Karen Ford, the Hill Country Alliance board member who leads the
Rainwater Revival event. “The design, construction and maintenance of water
conservation projects bring together math, science, economics and an early
appreciation for conserving our precious natural resources. We are so grateful
to know these teachers, parents, garden clubs and others are dedicated to
teaching our young people how to harvest and use rainwater and why it’s
important to know and care about water.”
Grants were awarded to:
Grants were awarded to:
Hernandez
Elementary School (San Marcos CISD): Some 70 fifth-graders will incorporate
rainwater collection while managing a storm water issue that occurs when
downspouts direct rainwater over sidewalks in front of the school. “Not many
people think of the benefit of storm water management,” Peggy Leatherman of Rain
Harvest Resources, one of the application judges, said. “All the judges were
pleased at the innovation this idea shows, as well as the school’s interest in
working with its garden and art clubs and City of San Marcos conservation
experts.”
East
Central High School (East Central ISD, Bexar County): The aquatic science
programs will use the grant funds to capture rainwater to irrigate native
grasses and plants being grown for a riparian restoration project. Environmental
science students will study and track pH in the captured rainwater over time, of
particular interest since the campus is near a coal-fired power plant scheduled
to be decommissioned within the next four years. “Judges felt this was an
excellent opportunity for real-world experience for our next generation of
scientists,” said Ms. Ford.
Hunt
ISD: Fourth-and-fifth-grade science students will use grant funds to build a
working tabletop model of a rain catchment system that will serve as a teaching
tool in all Hunt science classes. The physical model and its written educational
materials are a joint project between the Hunt School and Hunt Garden Club
volunteers and are expected to be used for a number of years. Students will
maintain the model and update it as needed. “The school’s ongoing dedication to
providing hands-on learning and its Discovery Garden, begun as a cooperative
project with the garden club 14 years ago, is to be commended,” said Ms.
Leatherman.
About the Rainwater Revival
The Rainwater Revival is an annual celebration of
collection, conservation and common sense designed to help individuals and
businesses learn how to capture rainwater for in-home and outdoor irrigation.
The free event is sponsored by the Hill Country Alliance and will be held
Saturday, Oct. 25, 2014, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Dripping Springs Ranch
Park.
The Hill Country Alliance is a nonprofit organization
whose purpose is to raise public awareness and build community support around
the need to preserve the natural resources and heritage of the Central Texas
Hill Country. Visit us at www.hillcountryalliance.org.
Photos:
Board member
Karen Ford (far right) presents a $1,000 grant from the Hill Country Alliance’s
Rainwater Revival to students and teachers at Hernandez Elementary School in the
San Marcos CISD. The grant will help students design and build a system to
capture storm water runoff.
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Media
contacts:
Kathi Thomas,
512.479.9H2O; info@rainwaterrevival.com
Laureen Chernow,
512.461.5093; laureen.chernow@gmail.com
