ALGIS J. LAUKAITIS / Lincoln Journal Star | Posted: Tuesday, November 14, 2006 6:00 pm
Forty-one students from across Nebraska will spend this weekend learning about water and other environment-related topics through a new program called “Hydro Heroes: A Youth Leadership Adventure.”
Created by The Groundwater Foundation, Hydro Heroes is designed to teach students 11 to 15 that they can make a difference in protecting water and other natural resources.
“It’s mostly to show these kids that they can be a hero for the planet,” said Carla Otredosky, youth programs coordinator for the Lincoln-based foundation.
The students, who had to write an essay as part of the selection process, come from Lincoln, Omaha, Wymore, Spaulding, Humboldt, Farwell, Rockville and other Nebraska towns.
The two-day program will start Saturday with a visit to Aurora’s Edgerton Explorit Center, where they will conduct water-related experiments and participate in other hands-on activities.
Next stop is the Seward City Water Treatment Plant. Students will tour the state-of-the-art facility, which is designed to remove nitrates from water. They will also compare water samples taken from other areas with Seward’s water and conduct water quality tests.
In the afternoon, the students will view native fish species in the Ak-Sar-Ben Aquarium at Schramm State Park near Gretna, go on a nature hike and study the area’s geology at a natural outcropping on a hillside.
A highlight of the trip will be a sleepover at Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo. The students will spend the night in the zoo’s Gorilla Valley exhibit and watch two movies: “Hoot” and the History Channel’s “Modern Marvels: Water.”
Sunday morning, they will travel by bus to Eugene Glock’s farm near Rising City. The stop will include a tour of the farm and a chance to see a center pivot in operation. Ag water management practices also will be discussed.
The final stop will be the Edgerton Explorit Center, where students will attend a graduation ceremony and watch a slide presentation about their weekend trip.
Otredosky said the foundation would like to make Hydro Heroes an annual event but that depends on whether funds will available next year. Forty-five students expressed interest this year.
In a related matter, Nebraska Attorney General Jon Bruning is expected to discuss Hydro Heroes and two other environmental education initiatives at an 11 a.m. news conference at the Army National Guard Headquarters in Lincoln on Thursday.
One of the programs is designed to raise public awareness about the emerging threat of pharmaceuticals and personal care products contaminating ground water. Bruning also will discuss pathogen contamination prevention workshops.
Groundwater Foundation president Susan Seacrest said both programs will be implemented next year in partnership with the foundation and will be covered by a $50,000 grant.
Reach Algis J. Laukaitis at 473-7243 or alaukaitis@journalstar.com.