Spring Conservation Sensation
Each May, the Lower Platte North NRD hosts the Spring Conservation Sensation, an all-day natural resources festival for 5th and 6th graders. Students spend the day in hands-on educational activities focusing on water, wildlife, forestry, geography, and more.
Schools in the NRD’s portions of Butler, Colfax, Dodge, Platte, and Saunders counties are eligible to attend. Registration information for the event is mailed in March each year; to be placed on the mailing list, contact us at lpnnrd@lpnnrd.org or 402.443.4675.
Registrations are also accepted online.
Land Judging Contest
Every other year in the fall, the Lower Platte North NRD hosts a district Land Judging Contest for area FFA chapters. Students at the contest are tested on their knowledge of soil types, topography, proper land use practices, and related topics. Around 200 students compete in the contest each year at the East Central Regional Contest. The winning individuals and teams will move on to the state competition held at the end of October. In addition to NRD personnel, staff from the Natural Resources Conservation Service help conduct the contest.
Contest Materials
For downloadable score cards, guidebooks, and other information related to Land Judging, please visit the Nebraska Association of Resources Districts’ Land Judging Website
Range Judging Contest
Range Judging is a competition that challenges high school students about Nebraska rangelands which make up half of the State’s land area. Participant learn to recognize range plants, range sites and the need for proper grazing practices.
Contest Materials
NRDs work with the Society for Range Management, NRCS and UNL Extension. For information related to Range Judging, please visit http://www.nesrm.org/RangeJudging.html
Test Your Well Event
The Lower Platte North Natural Resources District works with area FFA Chapters to host a “Test Your Well” event. These events are open to students, parents, teachers, and anyone in the area who are wanting to have their domestic well water tested for Nitrates. Lower Platte North NRD staff work with students prior to the event to train them on how to use the colorimeters for testing during the event. Nitrates in drinking water are colorless, odorless, and tasteless. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency set the maximum contaminant level of nitrates in drinking water at 10 parts per million (or mg/L) to protect against methemoglobinemia – also known as “blue baby syndrome”. The testing performed at the event is for nitrate levels only. There are numerous parameters that can be tested. For more information about these events, email lpnnrd@lpnnrd.org or call the NRD at 402-443-4675.
Other Events
Coffee, Lakeside
The Lower Platte North Natural Resources District (LPNNRD) offers a new educational topic monthly at the Clint Johannes Education Building at Lake Wanahoo.
Upcoming events will feature topics of Nebraska birds, fish, prairie grasses and wildflowers. Activities will also be available for kids in attendance. The FREE event will offer coffee and donuts provided by the LPNNRD.
Are you curious about a specific topic and wish to learn more? Email sabbott@lpnnrd.org or call 402-443-4675.
Nebraska Envirothon
The Nebraska Envirothon competition for high school students to test their knowledge about the environment. Five-member teams compete to demonstrate their knowledge and understanding in aquatics, forestry, soils, wildlife and a current environmental issue. More information about the contest can be found at www.nrdnet.org/nebraska-envirothon
For more information about environmental education events, please contact us at lpnnrd@lpnnrd.org or call 402-443-4675.
Know Your Well
Know Your Well is a project training high school students how to sample and test well water quality. This project runs between 2022 and 2025 and expects to connect with 50 schools across Nebraska. Over 300 private wells will eventually be tested for nitrate, nitrite, metals, pesticides, and coliform bacteria. Students collect land use and other data to help determine vulnerability to contamination. Well owners are supplied with test results and provided with information to help them evaluate their water quality. Know Your Well is helping well owners and future water scientists in Nebraska know more about groundwater in our state.
For more information about environmental education events, please contact us at lpnnrd@lpnnrd.org or call 402-443-4675.
