Prairielands GCD, Bluebonnet RC&D, and the City of Cleburne are, once again, collaborating to offer two gardening classes this February and March.  The Master Composter Training Courses are open to any interested adult, 18 years of age or older, and are scheduled to be held February 23, 24, and 25 and March 16, 17, and 18 at the Winston Patrick McGregor Park House, located at 1628 W. Henderson St., in Cleburne (76033).

Each year, nearly four million tons of yard trimmings in the form of leaves, grass, tree limbs, weeds and other organic debris are thrown away in Texas. That amounts to almost 20 percent of all trash in municipal landfills.

In addition, Texans spend more than $300 million each year disposing of yard trimmings, and billions in total yard care costs, including water, fertilizer, and chemicals to combat harmful insects and plant diseases. Costly synthetic fertilizers and pesticides allow chemicals to wash into lakes, streams, and underground water.

Composting is a simple biological process that breaks down leaves, grass clippings, wood chips, brush, and food scraps into a dark, crumbly, nutrient-rich, organic product. It's nature's way of recycling organic matter and returning it to the earth so that it may be used again.

This 14-hour course is designed to give students an in-depth look at composting, including its benefits and challenges. Additionally, students will be introduced to vermi-composting (composting with worms), hands-on bin building, and an understanding of the biology of composting. Students are expected to provide 20 hours of volunteer time back to the community over a 12-month period to help further environmental education. The first 30 students completing their 20 hours of volunteer time for the City of Cleburne will receive a free backyard composting bin.

The fee for the course is $20 per participant and prior registration is required. Class hours are Thursday and Friday, 6 to 9 p.m. and Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. A light lunch will be provided on Saturday. For more information and to registration, contact Paula Burgess, Bluebonnet RC&D, at 817-733-5066. 

Jinayah Cowan, a fifth-grader at Farine Elementary School in Irving, TX, was the 3rd place winner this year in the Texas Water Utilities Association (TWUA) annual essay contest. The theme of the contest this year was “The Texas Water Cycle – From Parched to Plenty.”

On April 28, at a presentation at the school, Jinayah read her winning essay to 4^th and 5th grade students, teachers, principal, and family members. She was presented with her 3rd place ribbon and a $50 prize from TWUA by Karen Siddall, public relations and education administrator with Prairielands Groundwater Conservation District.

Prairielands Groundwater Conservation District staff members took their water conservation message to Burleson ISD’s Bransom Elementary, Thursday, December 17, as part of their ongoing public awareness program throughout Johnson County. Fifth grade students learned the basics of conserving water indoors in a unique way – by participating in an interactive environmental play.

The play which has no rehearsals, no special costumes, and no long hours of memorizing dialogue is completed in a regular class period.  Props are literally supplied by the students themselves.  The students, divided into small groups of 4 or 5 members, figure out how to arrange their bodies together and interact with each other to become the props used during the course of the play.  Groups end up becoming items as diverse as a helicopter, a fountain, or an inflatable seahorse float like the kind found in a baby pool.

Students had a fun and boisterous time but when all the “props” were combined they still learned how to conserve water in their homes by doing simple things such as turning off the tap while brushing their teeth. “Out of all the water conservation tips we talk about, turning off the water while they brush their teeth is probably the one main behavior change children their age can do, on their own, to save water,” said Karen Siddall, public relations and education administrator for the Prairielands Groundwater Conservation District. “Students were given a new toothbrush to take home as a reminder to put some of what they learned into practice.”