November 2009
In This Issue:
- Message from the Executive Director
- Groundwater Guardian Green Sites
- It's Pebbles the Piping Plover!
- NET Staff Members honored for years' of service
- Experience the Splendor of Christmas at the Ferguson House
- Upcoming Events
Message from the Executive Director
We recently held our fourth quarter board meeting and the next board meeting will be at the Ferguson House on February 4, 2010. The Grants Committee continues meeting to evaluate the 110 grants that were submitted. We are fortunate to have received so many grants with great ideas and partners; unfortunately we won’t be able to fund all of the worthy projects.
High School volleyball and football have ended and the basketball season is gearing up. The Huskers football team appears inconsistent at best, but since no Big 12 North team has stepped up, the North title is attainable and a bowl game almost guaranteed.
The Trust’s 1999 Ford Explorer with over 125,000 miles has served us well and is now headed to the State Surplus Auction. We replaced it with another Ford Explorer that is bright blue with white Trust logos. We believe ten years and 125,000 miles is being fiscally conservative.
Let’s hope for a mild winter with adequate moisture.
Mark A. Brohman
Executive Director
Groundwater Guardian Green Sites
Nebraska Pioneers Golf Course
Groundwater Guardian Green Sites is a program of The Groundwater Foundation created to recognize highly-managed green spaces for their groundwater and environmental stewardship. Site managers complete an application that uniformly evaluates their current practices related to pesticide and fertilizer applications, water use, managing sources of pollution, and protecting water quality.
The Nebraska Environmental Trust provided funds that enabled The Groundwater Foundation to work with a variety of sites around the state to participate in the program and document the impact of their groundwater-friendly practices. Since the program began in 2007, participating Groundwater Guardian Green Sites have documented a reduction of roughly 100,000 pounds of fertilizer, a reduction in pesticide use of 38%, a savings of over 224,000,000 gallons of water, and the proper disposal of thousands of pounds of potentially toxic substances like batteries, used oil, antifreeze and tires.
Sites in Nebraska and across the country are implementing a variety of innovative groundwater-friendly practices, including converting to more drought-tolerant varieties of grass; increasing natural “no-mow” areas to reduce pesticide, fertilizer and water use;
incorporating groundwater into educational efforts; installing buffers along surface water; using recycled water for irrigation; installing rain gardens; maintaining no-application zones around wellheads; and testing soil to determine nutrient needs.
To see a complete list of Green Sites, please visit: www.groundwater.org/gg/greensites.html. Contact The Groundwater Foundation at 402-434-2740 or guardian@groundwater.org for further information.
It's Pebbles the Piping Plover
The "Name the Giant Piping Plover" contest came to a close, and the winning name was Pebbles! The name was submitted by two people, one from Pleasantville, New Jersey, and one from Missouri Valley, Iowa. The Tern and Plover Conservation Partnership had submissions from 18 states and 6 provinces, the furthest one being from Halifax, Nova Scotia (2,174 miles from Lincoln, NE). There were 279 unique names submitted from 182 different people.
Stay tuned to their website in the coming year for more activities and contests with Pebbles. Using Pebbles is one of their outreach tools to educate people about Piping Plovers and about Interior Least Terns as well. The public response to their new addition was outstanding!
NET Staff Honored for Years of Service
Front: Tina Harris, Grants Assistant -10 years of service
Back Row (from left to right): Lori Moore, Administrative Secretary - 20 years of service; Lisa Beethe, Grants Administrator - 10 years of service
Three NET staff members were honored for their service to the State of Nebraska recently in an awards ceremony held on October 20, 2009. Staff were recognized for their loyalty and valuable contributions to state government. Governor Dave Heineman presented the award to each employee honored.
Lori Moore who joined the Trust in June 2008 celebrated her 20th year with the state. Prior to that Lori served at Nebraska Emergency Management Agency for 19 years. Lisa Beethe and Tina Harris both celebrated their 10th year of service. Lisa joined the Trust in 1999 and has worked with the Trust all 10 years of her service. Tina on the other hand joined the Trust in 2002. She worked at Corrections for 3 years before joining the Trust.
Mark Brohman, Executive Director of the Trust said, " We are proud to have long serving staff members on our team. We have certainly benefited from their experience and service to the Trust and the state."
Experience the Splendor of Christmas at the Ferguson House
The Ferguson House, located at 700 South 16th
Date: December 13, 2009, Sunday (Free Admission)
Time: 1:00pm - 5:00pm
Built between 1909 and 1911, the Ferguson House is a treasure of Nebraska's past and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It was built by William Henry Ferguson in downtown Lincoln, across from the Nebraska State Capitol. The house was built and decorated in Georgian Revival style-very elegant with clean lines in contrast to the heavily decorated Victorian style.
The State of Nebraska became the owner of the house in 1961, though Mrs Ferguson resided there until her death in 1972 at the age of 103. Today, the Ferguson House is managed by the Nebraska Environmental Trust and can be rented for meetings and events. Those interested in a tour of the Ferguson House are more than welcome to join us on December 13, 2009 at the Ferguson House.
Important Dates To Remember:
- December 13, 2009 - Christmas Open House, Ferguson House (Environmental Trust Office), 1:00-5:00 pm
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