NewsDrop-July-August-2026

By: Sarah Valdez Senior STEAM Outreach Educator at the EAA Education Outreach Center Summer is Blooming

EAA EDUCATION OUTREACH CENTER

and other hands-on educational experiences. They will also have time to explore the exhibits and interactive displays throughout the Education Outreach Center. In addition to YMCA campers, several school groups remain scheduled to visit this summer, including students from Medina Valley ISD and Uvalde CISD. Teachers from Comal ISD’s Comal U Professional Learning event, along with several citizen groups, will also be making visits throughout the season. Frostweed, one of our tallest plants, grew so vigorously that we had to cut it back by nearly half. Our Purple coneflowers have displayed some unusual growth patterns this season, while new volunteer milkweeds, including Talayote milkweed, have appeared throughout the garden. Milkweeds are especially important because they provide food and habitat for a variety of pollinators, including monarch butterflies. q q The recent rains have encouraged impressive growth.

Our interns & work study students garden... while volunteers from the Alamo Area Chapter of the Texas Master Naturalists have helped keep things looking their best by pruning some of our most enthusiastic growers. Along the way, they have even taught us about several edible native plants growing in the garden.

Basketflowers are blooming beautifully, and visitors can even take home native plant seeds from the EOC to start their own pollinator-friendly gardens. Our grass demonstration beds are also flourishing with Buffalo Grass, Little Bluestem, Sideoats Grama, Blue Grama, and newly added Weberville Sedge showcasing the beauty and diversity of native Texas grasses. w

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The excitement isn’t limited to the garden. Throughout the summer, the EOC will welcome campers from seven locations of the YMCA of Greater San Antonio. Nearly 400 students in grades K–5 will visit the center as part of their summer camp experience. Thanks to support from the Edwards Aquifer Conservancy, transportation costs are being offset through funding for bus transportation. Students visiting the EOC will participate in a full field trip experience that includes an Edwards Aquifer presentation, scavenger hunt, aquifer-themed art activity,

With all of the recent rains, the Edwards Aquifer Authority EAA EOC Education Outreach Center’s Native Plant Demonstration Garden is putting on quite a show! The garden is bursting with color and growth as native plants thrive in these conditions.

Whether you’re interested in native plants, pollinators, water conservation, or simply looking for a fun and educational outing, the EAA Education Outreach Center is the place to be this summer. q

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