NewsDrop Winter 2022

Excitingly, in October the EOC welcomed a live Texas Blind Salamander into our aquariums. The EOC is the only place in San Antonio for the public to get a rare look at this endangered and unique species! The EOC is already a hub for community engagement. The San Antonio River Authority and HEB volunteers contributed to building the Native Plants Garden and Wildlife Viewing Area respectively. And the Texas Master Naturalists are in the process of naming the EOC an official volunteer site.

EAA Sr STEAM Outreach Educator, Sarah Valdez at the EOC with TV station SA Live, Mike Osterhage.

Saudi Arabian Visitors.

The EOC has also hosted many professional meetings. The Texas Master Naturalists, the Guadalupe River Authority, the 4-H Water Ambassadors, and Texas Children in Nature are just a few of the groups who have made use of our Karst Theatre. Notably, Texas Comptroller, Glenn Hegar, visited the EOC to discuss the importance of groundwater and its role in our life. The EOC has even reached visitors from Saudi Arabia as part of the “Sustainable Landscapes: Promoting Economic Growth and Environmental Security” portion of the International Visitor Leadership Program!

The EOC has been featured on independent blogs, such as the SA Charter Moms blog, as well as on news channels such as Kens5, SALiveKSAT, News 4 San Antonio, etc. Generously, KENS 5 Weather Chief Bill Taylor himself records a weekly update on the Edwards Aquifer and the weekly weather just for the EOC! As the second season of the EOC approaches, we are already anticipating even more guests. Look forward to brand new activities at the EOC—including a nature walk activity!—and more exciting events! Be sure to schedule a visit! As always, don’t forget to ask for our scavenger hunt. We hope you leave with a smile on your face and the exclamation, “that was fun!”

In addition to these groups, the EOC has received over 2,000 guests! This includes over 25 different schools and homeschool groups. These visits are not limited to K-12 students. Texas A&M-San Antonio undergraduate and graduate Water Resource students visited the EOC in August. EAA Protection Supervisor, Thomas Marsalia, and Aquifer Science Research Supervisor, Jennifer Adkins-Schudrowitz, led a presentation. This was followed by a trip to the Field Research Park, the EAA’s adjacent property running long-term research projects on soil retention, moisture retention, land management, and more. The EOC is the first space dedicated solely to education on the Edwards Aquifer. As such, it has caught the attention of many.

Texas Master Naturalists.

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