The Texas 4-H Water Ambassador Program provides high school youth an opportunity to gain advanced knowledge and develop leadership skills related to the science, technology, engineering, and management of water in Texas.
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This issue:
- Thanks to our 2018 Sponsors!
- Meet our New Tier I 4-H Water Ambassadors
- 2017 Class Elects to Serve a Second Term
- Recap of Summer Tier I & Tier II 4-H2O Leadership Academies
- 4-H Water Ambassadors Activity Highlights
- Follow us on Social Media
Please help spread the word about this unique opportunity to grow the next generation of Texas water leaders!
David Smith, 4-H2O Program Coordinator
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The Texas 4-H Water Ambassadors Program is made possible through the generous support of private sponsors, donations, and grants. Funding for this effort is managed by the Texas 4-H Youth Development Foundation, where 95% of all donations go directly toward
non-salary
program expenses.
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Meet the New 2018 Class of 4-H Water Ambassadors
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In spring 2018 (29) new youth representing (27) counties were selected to represent the 2018 of 4-H Water Ambassadors. Included are (6) freshman, (9) sophomores, (11) juniors, and (3) seniors. Here is a list of our new
Tier I 4-H Water Ambassadors and their respective counties.
Marlys Baldwin (Comal Co.),
Bailey Halbert (Brazos Co.),
Rowdy Kunz (Colorado Co.),
Andrew Crank (Kendall Co.),
Sophia Hurtado (Eastland Co.),
Katie Carlson (Midland Co.),
Sehrsha Glover (Erath Co.),
Tyann Phillips (Floyd Co.),
Annika Stevens (Leon Co.),
Brentton Jenkins (Harrison Co.),
Gabriel Ramthun (Milam Co.),
Mia Cruz (Val Verde Co.),
Elyssa Rodriguez (Hidalgo Co.),
Luke Unterkircher (Swisher Co.),
Alfonso Islas (Nolan Co.),
Braden DeBorde (Ellis Co.),
Reagan Fox (Nueces Co.),
Myla Childers (Erath Co.),
Macy Downs (Yoakum Co.),
Isaiah Losoya (McCullough Co.),
Luke Read (Bell Co.),
Riley Calk (Gaines Co.),
Ty Cornelius (Crosby Co.),
Paul Pittman (Jeff Davis Co.),
Hayden Holder (Burnet Co.),
Carson Manning (Guadalupe Co.),
Natalie Anderson (Starr Co.),
Hunter Lawrence (Nueces Co.), and
Noah Huffman (McCullough Co.).
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Tier I 4-H Water Ambassadors pictured with Mr. Mitchell Sodek - General Manager Central Texas Groundwater Conservation District (sponsor). Central Texas GCD hosted our group during the summer Tier I 4-H2O Leadership Academy.
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Member of 2017 Class Elect to Serve a Second Term
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The Texas 4-H Water Ambassadors Program began in 2017 with (16) youth representing (13) counties. After a year of service, all youth (except for 3 graduating seniors) chose to continue in this role for a second term. Here is a list of our
Tier II 4-H Water Ambassadors and their respective counties.
John Phillip Jones (Waller Co.),
Logan West (Wilson Co.),
Kolby Dague (Bell Co.),
James Schoenfeldt (Brewster Co.),
Molly McKinney (Bexar Co.),
Amanda Lochte (Bexar Co.),
Jonah McGinty (Walker Co.),
Grant Miller (Nueces Co.),
Jovana Pena (Nolan Co.),
Hale Ingram (Montgomery Co.),
Maggie Garcia (Nolan Co.),
Gerardo Garcia (Nolan Co.), and
Kaleb Herfurth Guadalupe Co.).
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Tier II 4-H Water Ambassadors pictured here with Kathy Turner Jones, James Ridgway, and Samantha Reiter - Lone Star Groundwater Conservation District (sponsor). Lone Star GCD hosted our group during the summer Tier II 4-H2O Leadership Academy.
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Recap of
Tier I 4-H2O Leadership Academy
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The Tier I 4-H2O Leadership Academy was held July 21-28, 2018 and included more than (25) tour stops and presentation exposing youth to a wide range of water issues including water policy, water law, surface and groundwater rights, desalination, groundwater science, water and wastewater treatment, water conservation technologies, and so much more.
Thanks to the great folks in the water industry that gave so much of their time, and shared their experience and knowledge with our future water leaders!
Here are just a few highlights of the Tier I Academy.
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Kick-off reception in Austin included (125) family members, sponsors and invited guests. Keynote address featured Mr. Dirk Aaron, TAGD President and GM of Clearwater Underground Water Conservation District.
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4-H Water Ambassadors completed the 1-day Texas Stream Team Certification Course at the Meadows Center for Water and the Environment in San Marcos. They also enjoyed the glass-bottom boat tour.
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Lloyd-Gosslink Rochelle & Townsend, P.C. hosted the ambassadors at their office in Austin. Ambassadors learned about surface and groundwater law, and water policy issues.
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Clearwater Underground Water Conservation District staff gave a tour of their mobile aquifer education trailer and discussed the role of GCDs.
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Mitchell Sodek, Central Texas Groundwater Conservation District GM, demonstrated different techniques for measuring water depth in wells. He also demonstrated use of down-hole cameras.
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Ambassadors were led on a 2-hour tour of Sonora Caverns to see the many different formations and stages of development.
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Mr. James Bordovsky and Dr. Dana Porter discussed agricultural irrigation management strategies and conservation tillage during a visit to the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension & Research Farm in Halfway.
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During a stop at the Texas A&M AgriLife Research & Extension Center at Dallas, Dr. Dotty Woodson demonstrated rainfall capture systems, landscape water conservation strategies, and indoor water-conserving appliances.
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Recap of
Tier II 4-H2O Leadership Academy
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4-H Water Ambassadors entering a second year of service participated in a Tier II 4-H2O Leadership Academy June 17-22, 2018. The Academy focused on the wide range of water issues along the Texas Gulf Coast, such as bayous, wetlands, and estuaries, marine ecology, environmental flow concerns, fisheries, and the economic impact of water recreation and tourism. Here are some places we visited.
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James Ridgway, Lone Star Groundwater District Education Coordinator, gave a tour of their aquifer trailer and many of the water conservation methods featured at their Conroe office building.
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Water Ambassadors took a guided boat tour of Caddo Lake. They learned the history of the lake, its unique landscape and wildlife, and the economic value to the local population.
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During a visit to Sheldon Lake in north Houston, ambassadors walked through the wetland and learned about efforts to restore wetlands to benefit water quality and provide flood protection.
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In Clear Lake, ambassadors assisted staff from the Texas Coastal Watershed Program and Texas Community Watershed Partners pot wetland plants.
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At Galveston Island State Park, ambassadors learned how to find, identify, and inventory sea creatures and other items that wash up on Texas beaches. They also helped clean up litter from parts of the beach.
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Ambassadors were taken on a dolphin and bird watching tour in Port Aransas. They also witnessed some of the storm damage from Hurricane Harvey and learned about its impact on the local economy.
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4-H Water Ambassadors Activity Highlights
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Since the Texas 4-H Water Ambassadors began in July 2017, water ambassadors have provided more than
850 hours of service and have reached more than
14,000 adults and youth with water education. They lead water education efforts in their schools, 4-H clubs, and at community events. Several ambassadors have also presented to their local groundwater conservation districts, at regional water planning meetings, and county commissioners courts.
Here are few a few examples of how these young leaders are making a difference in their communities.
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Brentton Jenkins (Harrison Co.) (left) set up a water education booth at the local Fire Ant Festival. Brentton's poster and demonstrations focused on the importance of recycling bottles, cans, and mono-filament line. He also shared information about the 4-H Water Ambassador Program and had a demonstration called "All the water in the world" which showed how water was distributed across the planet in the oceans, ice caps, lakes and rivers.
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Marlys Baldwin (Comal Co.) educated youth at the "Kids Day in the Garden" event in Comal County. Marlys designed a presentation board with lots of information about water. She talked about how we can use rain barrels for the garden, and discussed with kids and adults the water cycle, where we get our water from, and home water conservation. Marlys also provided the kids blank water cycle pages for them to color.
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John Philip Jones (Waller Co.) provided an update of the Texas 4-H Water Ambassadors Program at the meeting of Waller County Commissioners Court. JP provided highlights and developments of the Program as well as our goals moving forward.
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Macy Downs (Yoakum Co) & Riley Calk (Gaines Co.) assisted Ms. Michelle Cooper, Education Coordinator for the Southern Ogallala Conservation & Outreach Program (SOCOP), educate 5th graders using SOCOP's water education trailer.
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Bailey Halbert (Brazos Co.) discussed her Tier I 4-H2O Leadership Academy experience with her local 4-H club members. Bailey showed a highlight video of the Academy and talked about all the things she learned while on the trip.
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Grant Miller (Nueces Co.) participated in a meeting in Corpus Christi to discuss the status of the desalination plant construction. Grant also wrote an article about the meeting to inform other Water Ambassadors about the issue.
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Elyssa Rodriguez (Hidalgo Co.) presented to her AP Environmental Science and AP Statistics Class at Edinburg North High School. She talked about all the places we visited and things we learned during this summer's 4-H2O Leadership Academy.
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Carson Manning (Guadalupe Co.) took the occasion of National Night Out to talk to community members about his Texas 4-H Water Ambassador experience. He set up a poster display and also met with Gilbert Salas, Director of Pubic Works, in Kirby who agreed to allow Carson to test city water wells for his research.
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Isaiah Losoya & Noah Huffman (McCullough Co.) set up a water education booth at the World Championship Goat Cook-off held in Brady. They talked about the Hickory Aquifer, the water cycle, and played a fun game where people could guess how many gallons of water go into every ingredient on a pizza. For the children, they handed out stickers, key chains, water cycle posters and water information brochures. (Noah pictured here.)
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Tyann Phillips (Floyd Co.) presentation for third graders at the Floyd County Ag Day. Tyann talked about water pollution and led a hands-on activity for students which demonstrated different ways to clean dirty water.
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Logan West (Wilson Co.) shared information about water conservation at the Wilson County 4-H Kick-off. He also demonstrated the Texas Stream Team water quality testing kit and promoted the Water Ambassadors Program to fellow 4-Hers and parents.
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Brentton Jenkins (Harrison Co.) participated and provided a helping hand at the 'Well Educated" training conducted by the Texas Water Resources Institute's Texas Well Owner Network. In addition to learning about such topics as Texas groundwater resources, septic system maintenance, well maintenance and construction, and water quality and treatment, Brentton helped staff test water samples that participants brought from their wells.
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Rowdy Kunz (Colorado Co.) put together an impressive poster display about his 4-H2O Leadership Academy experience. Rowdy also built a model stream table and shared information about stream flow principles.
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Sehrsha Glover and Myla Childers (both from Erath Co.) teamed up with Middle Trinity Groundwater Conservation District at the Comanche Pow Wow, where they helped by giving away rain gauges, water information, bumper stickers, pens, fans, and bags. They also had a sign up sheet for water well plugging/water quality testing. (Sehrsha pictured here.)
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Gabriel Ramthun (Milam Co.) & Kolby Dague (Bell Co.) participated recently in the 2018 Milam and Burleson Counties Groundwater Summit hosted by Post Oak Savannah Groundwater Conservation District. In addition to gaining a lot of valuable information, Gabriel assisted District staff at the check-in table. (Gabriel pictured here.)
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Annika Stevens (Leon Co.) teaches youth about the water cycle at the Leon County 4-H Kick-off event. She used colored waterwheels and small craft beads for kids to build bracelets as they learn about different components of the water cycle including lakes, aquifers, and various forms of precipitation.
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Alfonso Islas (Nolan Co.) & Marlys Baldwin (Comal Co.) present a sponsor recognition plaque to Mr. Mitchell Sodek, Central Texas Groundwater Conservation District General Manger at the Texas Groundwater Summit. Several 4-H Water Ambassadors attended the summit where they manned an educational booth.
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Macy Downs (Yoakum Co.) & Riley Calk (Gaines Co.), along with SOCOP Educational Coordinator Michelle Cooper, shared what it means to be a 4-H Water Ambassador on the Town Talk Radio show.
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Follow us on Social Media
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Visit our social media sites (links below) to keep current on Texas 4-H Water Ambassador Program activities.
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Texas 4-H is part of Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and the Texas A&M System. Founded in 1908, 4-H is the largest youth development program in Texas, reaching more than 550,000 youth each year.
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Educational programs of the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service are open to all people without regard to race, color, sex, religion, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, or veteran status. The Texas A&M University System, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the County Commissioners Courts of Texas Cooperating.
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Texas 4-H Water Ambassadors Program | (979) 862-1989 | davidsmith@tamu.edu
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