​“Imagine A Day Without Water” is today. For the past two weeks, I have been sending water conservation tips via Twitter and Facebook. This is my top 10 list of things I would miss the most if there was no drinkable water left in the world.

1. TOILETS – This is the first thing I would miss. When I watch a period piece on TV, I often think, “What does it smell like without a proper sewer system? And worse, what diseases are floating around without toilets?”
2. SHOWERS – Not showering is simply bad hygiene. Oily hair and increasing amounts of body bacteria are some of the side effects.
3. WASHING HANDS – This one is especially important for surgeons. Infections were very common before medical professionals started “scrubbing up.”
4. LAUNDRY – What would I do without clean clothes? Wear them until they got stinky and then throw them away?
5. COOKING – No water means no more pasta. Yikes!
6. FOOD – U.S. agriculture uses 80% of the country's consumed water.
7. TREES – Approximately 1/3 of Earth’s oxygen is produced by rain forests. I also love the sound of wind blowing through leaves.
8. INTERNET – Did you know that huge companies like Google use water to cool down their server farms? Without water, there is a good chance of meltdown.
9. FLORA – This is all plant life. I wouldn’t miss mushrooms all that much, but wouldn’t it be sad to never see another flower?
10. FAUNA – This is all animal life, including humans.

 
Huge problems happen without water because it’s our most precious natural resource. But thousands of people don’t realize that water is finite – meaning it doesn’t last forever. The more water we contaminate, the harder it is to clean, and at some point, the water becomes unusable. The world was horrified at what happened with Flint, Michigan, water. We need to be mindful of water usage and protect our water infrastructure. How? In the United States, make sure your federal and state representatives make water infrastructure a priority! On a personal level, try conserving where you can. How much water do you use?

​- Georgia Shaffer

"Imagine a Day Without Water" is on October 10, 2018. It's the perfect time to talk about water conservation and be thankful for our aquifers. Xeriscape is defined as a style of landscape design requiring little or no irrigation or other maintenance. In the Texas Hill Country, xeriscape or native plants can help drastically reduce watering. Learn more about Texas natural landscaping here.

Monarch butterflies are heading to San Antonio in a year that could claim the largest migration in a decade. 

Based on robust activity in the monarchs’ primary Midwestern breeding grounds, Monarch Watch founder and expert Chip Taylor predicted “the migration should be the strongest since 2008.” Taylor shared the promising outlook in a recent population update on the monarch butterfly conservation organization’s blog.

Read the full article by Monika Maekle here.

In recognition of the support New Braunfels Parks and Recreation receives throughout the year from volunteers, the department hosted the 10th annual Volunteer Appreciation Dinner on September 13th at the New Braunfels Civic/Convention Center.

Volunteer efforts are visible throughout the community in projects such as park cleanup, tree planting and mulching, trail building and repair, planting and weeding landscape beds and assistance at special events. Over the past 11 years, park volunteers contributed a total of 29,600 hours valued at $682,872 in labor costs.

“The amount of time that our volunteers donate yearly is remarkable. We began tracking our volunteer efforts in 2007, this year marked the 10th anniversary of our Annual Volunteer Appreciation and Awards,” said Stacey Dicke Parks and Recreation Director. “The department is truly privileged to have this quantity and quality of service contributed by these fine men, women and organizations.”

The event was themed “A Decade of Dedication.” Several volunteers and organizations were recognized with specific awards for their contributions to the Parks and Recreation Department and community as a whole.

The department has an array of volunteer opportunities for individuals, small groups and large organizations. For more information on the volunteer program call 830-221-4367 or visit www.nbtexas.org.

2018 Volunteer Service Award Winners
Mike Valerio – Frank Chapa Golf Service Award
Rosemary Melody – Trail Blazer Award
Brad Herbelin –  PARD’ner Award
Sharon Suchy – Solid as a Rock
Jimmy and John Owens – Golden Hammer Award
Cemetery Committee – Seele Education Award
Jeff Scott – Sweetheart Award
Byrne Construction – Emmie Faust Award
Das Rec Gala Committee – Bud Dallmann Award
Albert Frank – Roger Dolle Award
Headwaters at the Comal – Teddy Roosevelt Conservation Award
New Braunfels Christian Academy – Jesse Garcia Youth Volunteer Award
Lauren Clawson – Skinner Legacy Award
David Hubbard – ​City of a Prince Award

The Texas Water Conservation Scorecard, released in 2016, was a first-of-its-kind, big-picture look at water utilities across Texas, evaluating them on their water conservation practices. Now, it has been updated with two more years’ worth of data. Read the full article here.