GRAND ISLAND, Nebraska – The Central Platte Natural Resources District (CPNRD) hosted the annual Nebraska Children’s Groundwater Festival on Tuesday, welcoming nearly 900 fifth-grade students from 32 schools across 18 counties. The event was held at Central Community College and College Park in Grand Island, where students participated in hands-on activities focused on groundwater and environmental stewardship.

CPNRD staff led four engaging sessions focused on grasslands, global positioning systems, geology, and water quality testing:

• Rock & Roll: Geology and My Water: Brandi Flyr, Hydrologist, used candy bars to simulate soil samples, helping students understand how geologists take core samples and how past geological events affect today’s water supply.
• Preserving Grasslands and Prescribed Fire Equipment: Bill Hiatt, Range Management Specialist, taught students about the challenges facing Nebraska’s grasslands and habitats. With temperatures in the upper 80s, Shell Creek students especially enjoyed this session, noting it was their favorite because they “got to try the fire hoses and get wet.”
• GIS/GPS: Mapping Groundwater: Luke Zakrzewski, GIS Image Analyst, showed students how NRDs use GPS technology to track groundwater levels over time to manage water resources.
• Test the Waters: A Water Quality Check: David Carr, Range Management Specialist, demonstrated how to use nitrate strips and Secchi disks to assess water clarity and contamination levels.

In addition to CPNRD, five other NRDs contributed their expertise:

• Little Blue NRD presented H2O Olympics, where students explored the cohesion and adhesion properties of water through fun experiments.
• Lower Loup NRD challenged students to design a riverfront development plan with a $5 million budget, encouraging creative thinking about land use and water management with We All Live in a Watershed.
• Lower Platte South NRD guided students in building a watershed outdoors with Watershed Whirlwind to observe how seasonal precipitation impacts both surface water and groundwater.
• Lewis & Clark and Lower Niobrara NRDs teamed up for Awesome Aquifers, a build-an-aquifer activity that illustrated the effects of water withdrawal and pollution.
• Upper Big Blue NRD presented Wetlands Bingo, teaching students about wetland ecosystems through interactive gameplay.

Other organizations that presented activities:

State Agencies & Governmental Organizations

• Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy
• Nebraska Department of Natural Resources
• USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service
• Nebraska Extension
• Nebraska Public Power District
• U.S. Geological Survey
• Nebraska State Historical Society
• Nebraska Water Environment Association

Local Government & Community Programs

• Grand Island Utilities Department
• Kearney Stormwater Department
• Grand Island Clean Community System
• CCC Environmental Sustainability Office
• Grand Island Groundwater Guardian Team

Nonprofit Organizations & Conservation Groups

• Grand Island Izaak Walton League
• Crane Trust
• Prairie Loft Center
• Raptor Conservation Alliance
• Meridian Enrichment Program

Museums & Educational Institutions

• Stuhr Museum
• Hastings Museum

Businesses & Private Sector

• Ensign Beverage
• EA Engineering
• Fax Gilbert Entertainment
• JEO Consulting Group
• Nebraska Farm Bureau
• Smart Soil
• Shane’s Pump & Windmill Service 

Volunteers
Students from Grand Island Senior High, Giltner High School, and Barr Middle School assisted as classroom guides and activity aides. The festival depends on more than 100 volunteers to guide school groups, assist presenters, manage registration, and serve in the lunch tent.

The Nebraska Children’s Groundwater Festival continues to inspire the next generation of environmental stewards through interactive learning. The Central Platte NRD and its partners are proud to support groundwater education and thank the many volunteers, educators, presenters, and sponsors who made this year’s Festival a success.

For more information, visit www.cpnrd.org/education