NewsDrop-February-2024

THE EOC: YOUR AQUIFER EDUCATION DESTINATION

By: EOC Staff

A magic show that’s secretly about science. A scavenger hunt that creates interactions with nature. A chemical experiment that identifies limestone. This past year, 6,000 guests — that’s triple the number of visitors from our first year—visited the Education Outreach Center and participated in these and other activities. From kindergartners to senior citizens to differently-abled adults, we have received guests from all walks of life. Yet, no matter their walk of life, each EOC visitor shares one thing in common: we all rely on water. And upon visiting the EOC, they leave feel ing empowered and excited to protect our region’s shared water resource: the Edwards Aquifer. Given the diversity of visitors, the EOC’s exhibits and activities are designed to be accessible to all learning levels and styles. Trained educators provide dynamic and adaptable presentations. Students find themselves jumping up from their seats to be the first to answer the water mastery questions at the end. The Flag Art activity encour ages student creativity, and a fun puppet show introduces young students to the zones of the Edwards Aquifer. Every day, visitors and schools can partake in activities like these. In addition to these year-round activities, our special programming of 2023 included Movie Mondays, Summer Saturdays, and a Holiday Jam boree. Our biggest event was the Holiday Jam boree. One hundred guests came to meet Santa, paint their own ornaments, listen to carolers, and watch a science puppet show. Families walked

away with treats, holiday ornaments, pictures with Santa, and big smiles. However, even our non-festive activities are spe cial. In fact, it is in the day-to-day school field trip activities that the education team, with the help of dedicated volunteers, shines most brightly. In 2023 alone, we hosted 70 different school and homeschool groups—almost triple the number of schools as in 2022. K-12 students participated in TEKS (Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills) aligned presentations and activities, visited our three live Texas Blind Salamanders, and learned to think about water in a different way. Updates for 2024 As the EOC approaches its second anniversary, visitors can look forward to even more activities and updates. A new exhibit is nearing completion outdoors. Garden beds will feature native versus non-native grasses, emphasizing the importance of native grasses in preventing soil erosion, provid ing habitat for wildlife, and conserving water. These grass beds will be featured alongside our existing Native Plant Demonstration Garden which captures Texas’ natural beauty and pro vides an example of a drought-tolerant collection of plants that visitors can implement in their own backyards. Excitingly, a new flagstone path has

been installed in the garden. Visitors will find the Native Plant Demonstration Garden more accessi ble and the landscaping neater. Thirdly, the education team is working to incor porate a small hike to our outdoor pavilion into school field trip programming. This will provide students with an up-close, personal, nature-based learning experience in our local San Antonio eco system—with plants and animals that rely on the Edwards Aquifer, just like them. Potential activ ities will include nature journaling, observation and hypothesis creation, and plant identification. The EOC is also working on providing more Spanish translations for our exhibits and activities. Teachers, please note that the EOC education team has two Spanish-speaking presenters on staff. 2023 was an exciting year full of growth, innovation, and learning at the EOC. We look for ward to welcoming even more visitors in 2024 and we especially encourage teachers to bring their students on a field trip! After all, the EOC is the place to be! Support for School Field Trips The EOC is free to attend. We also offer travel support for school field trips. Please apply on the EOC website at https://www.eaaeoc.org/travel-support/ Call us with questions at (210) 547-2222. We look forward to your school field trip! Language Options We have Spanish and ASL speakers on staff. If you would like to schedule a field trip to the EOC in a language other than English, please do not hesitate to ask!

Edwards Aquifer Authority 900 E Quincy St • San Antonio, TX, 78215 www.edwardsaquifer.org

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Visit the EOC website: https://www.eaaeoc.org/

The mission of the EAA is to Manage, Enhance, and Protect the Edwards Aquifer. The Edwards Aquifer Authority is a regional water management agency that regulates with integrity, transparency, respect, and commitment to sustainability of the aquifer. NewsDrop is a production of the EAA Communications and Development Department with helpful assistance from EAA Staff.

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