LCRA, PEC award $25,000 grant to Hill Country Science Mill


LCRA and PEC representatives present a $25,000 grant to the Hill Country Science Mill for a Creekside Monitoring Station interactive exhibit. The grant is part of LCRA’s Community Development Partnership Program. Pictured, from left to right, are: Lori A. Berger, LCRA Board member; Dawn Capra, Johnson City mayor; Bonnie Baskin, museum president; Phil Wilson, LCRA general manager; Cristi Clement, Pedernales Electric Cooperative Board director; Clint Harp, LCRA chief of staff; Diana Gonzales, PEC community engagement representative; and Holly Barton, museum director of operations.

The Hill Country Science Mill will be able to build a Creekside Monitoring Station interactive exhibit thanks to a $25,000 community development grant from the Lower Colorado River Authority and Pedernales Electric Cooperative.

The monitoring station is one of the final exhibits to be built in the museum’s backyard. Museum Science Director Bob Elde said the Creekside Monitoring Station will feature a pier on the bank of Town Creek that will enable visitors to study water quality, microscopic life in a creek and the ecosystem.

“Young visitors will be able to observe the conditions of the creek, collect water samples, analyze the water’s chemical constituents and take a census of the microscopic organisms that inhabit the creek water,” Elde said. “Our goal is for the student visitor to understand that actions within their own backyard impact the quality and quantity of surface water in their community.” ​

Elde said visitors at the Creekside Monitoring Station will operate an A-frame boom that will act as a pulley to collect water samples from Town Creek.

“Using technology that can easily connect to a cellphone, as well as scientific instruments located inside the Hill Country Science Mill, visitors will have the opportunity to become environmental scientists,” Elde said.

LCRA General Manager Phil Wilson lauded the museum’s effort to educate youth about the importance of protecting our water quality.

“As stewards of water across the lower Colorado River basin, we at LCRA are pleased to play a role in the creation of this exhibit,” Wilson said. “This addition to the museum will give adults and adults of tomorrow a hands-on lesson in conserving and protecting the quality of this most precious resource.”

The Hill Country Science Mill opened in 2015 and has more than 45 highly interactive exhibits. The facility hosts science, technology, engineering and math career immersion camps and other science and technology-focused programs to provide students insights into 21st century careers.

The community grant is one of a number of grants recently awarded through LCRA’s Community Development Partnership Program. The program provides economic development and community assistance grants to cities, counties, volunteer fire departments, regional development councils and other nonprofit organizations in LCRA’s electric and water service areas. The program is part of LCRA’s effort to give back to the communities it serves. Pedernales Electric Cooperative is one of LCRA’s wholesale electric customers and a partner in the grant program.

Applications for the next round of grants are due July 31. More information is available at lcra.org/cdpp.

About LCRA

The Lower Colorado River Authority serves customers and communities throughout Texas by managing the lower Colorado River; generating and transmitting electric power; ensuring a clean, reliable water supply; and offering access to nature at more than 40​ parks, recreation areas and river access sites along the Texas Colorado River, from the Hill Country to the Gulf Coast. LCRA and its employees are committed to enhancing the lives of Texans through water stewardship, energy and community services. LCRA was created by the Texas Legislature in 1934. For more information, visit
lcra.org.

Media Contact
Clara Tuma
512–578–3292
clara.tuma@lcra.org


Source: LCRA Business News

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