Hickory UWCD selects student as 4-H Water Ambassador; attends Leadership Academy

Since the 2017 inception of the Texas Water Ambassador Leadership Academy, the Hickory UWCD has offered scholarships to local students interested in participating. The Leadership Academy is a 10-day tour of Texas exposing youth to a wide diversity of water resources, water uses, sensitive research ecosystems, water quality concerns, as well as applied water and technologies.

David Smith, 4-H2O Project Coordinator, shared, “This year, 36 new youths were selected as 4-H Water Ambassadors, raising the total number of water ambassadors to sixty-eight. I am proud to have Kellen represent McCulloch County and look forward to seeing her grow in water knowledge and provide leadership in community water education. I appreciate the support from Hickory UWCD and encourage Kellen to collaborate with staff in future community education and outreach efforts. The 4-H Water Ambassadors program is made possible by the financial and moral support from many organizations in the water industry, and especially from groundwater conservation districts throughout the State. While COVID-19 has significantly impacted summer tours and field trips, water ambassadors have and will continue to participate in virtual and limited face-to-face learning experiences that will expand their Texas water knowledge. Over the next year, all water ambassadors will complete a minimum of (40) hours of education and service in their communities and beyond. They will also seek opportunities to assist and learn from groundwater conservation district educators and others in the water industry.”

Texas 4-H20 Water Ambassador Leadership Academy 2020

“Hi, my name is Kellen Rushfeldt, and I am a Tier I Texas Water Ambassador for the 2020-2021 year. I recently had the opportunity to travel to College Station to gain more knowledge over the topic of water and receive an insight onto what my year as a water ambassador could look like. Due to the unfortunate COVID-19 situation, my fellow ambassadors and I were unable to take the eight-day tour of Texas and its water sources, however we still managed and had a fantastic weekend learning experience.

“On the first day, I learned about what being an ambassador truly means and the opportunities that it could bring you. I also learned that the water industry is very supportive of youth getting involved with their interests and how far this industry truly stretches. For example, I always believed that to work in the water industry, you would actually have to get your feet wet. Turns out, I was wrong. The industry is more than just water and can stretch to so many different topics. Along with learning about the water industry, I learned about how the recent population growth in the state of Texas is affecting our water, the major and minor aquifers in the state, and wildlife in water, not to mention all of the different and exciting vocabulary terms.

“By the second day, I eagerly awoke and got myself ready for the next session to learn even more about water. During the session of the day, I learned about the laws of water and who the water truly belongs to, whether it is being pumped from underground or being harvested from the surface. After lunch, the Tier II and III ambassadors gave presentations and examples over topics that affect our everyday lives. These topics had never even crossed my mind until they were presented to me. Overall, this weekend provided me with new learning experiences and gave me an insight onto more than what I see in the movies. I am beyond grateful for the opportunity I was given and ecstatic to share my knowledge.”

Applications for the 2021 Summer Academy will open in March of that year. If you 1) will be a high school student in the 2021/2022 school year, 2) will be 14 years of age or older by August 31, 2021 and 3) are currently a 4-H member or are willing to join a local 4-H club if selected for this program, then you are eligible. If you live within the boundaries of the Hickory UWCD, we do offer scholarship opportunities. For more information, visit: https://www.texas4hwaterambassadors.com/ or contact the District office at 325-597-2785 or <hickoryuwcd@yahoo.com>.