Nebraska Children’s Groundwater Festival
Nebraska’s NRDs Engage 900 Students in Hands-On Groundwater Education 2025 Activities
The Central Platte Natural Resources District (CPNRD) hosted the annual Nebraska Children’s Groundwater Festival on Tuesday, welcoming nearly 900 fifth-grade students from 32 schools across 18 counties. The event was held at Central Community College and College Park in Grand Island, where students participated in hands-on activities focused on groundwater and environmental stewardship. CPNRD staff led four engaging sessions focused on grasslands, global positioning systems, geology, and water quality testing:
Preserving Grasslands & Prescribed Fire Equipment: Bill Hiatt, Range Management Specialist, taught students about the challenges facing Nebraska’s grasslands and habitats. Shell Creek students especially enjoyed this session, noting it was their favorite because they “got to try the fire hoses and get wet.”
GIS/GPS: Mapping Groundwater: Luke Zakrzewski, GIS Image Analyst, showed students how NRDs use GPS technology to track groundwater levels over time to manage water resources.
Rock & Roll: Geology and My Water: Brandi Flyr, Hydrologist, used candy bars to simulate soil samples, helping students understand how geologists take core samples and how past geological events affect today’s water supply.
Test the Waters: A Water Quality Check: David Carr, Range Management Specialist, demonstrated how to use nitrate strips and Secchi disks to assess water clarity and contamination levels.
In addition to CPNRD, five other NRDs contributed their expertise:
Little Blue NRD presented H2O Olympics, where students explored the cohesion and adhesion properties of water through fun experiments.
Lower Loup NRD challenged students to design a riverfront development plan with a $5 million budget, encouraging creative thinking about land use and water management.
Lower Platte South NRD guided students in building a watershed outdoors to observe how seasonal precipitation impacts both surface water and groundwater.
Lewis & Clark and Lower Niobrara NRDs teamed up for a build-an-aquifer activity that illustrated the effects of water withdrawal and pollution.
Upper Big Blue NRD presented Wetlands Bingo, teaching students about wetland ecosystems through interactive gameplay.
Other organizations that presented activities:
- Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy
- Nebraska Department of Natural Resources
- USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service
- Nebraska Extension
- Nebraska Public Power District
- U.S. Geological Survey
- Nebraska State Historical Society
- Nebraska Water Environment Association
- Grand Island Utilities Department
- Kearney Stormwater Department
- Grand Island Clean Community System
- CCC Environmental Sustainability Office
- Grand Island Groundwater Guardian Team
- Grand Island Izaak Walton League
- Crane Trust
- Prairie Loft Center
- Raptor Conservation Alliance
- Meridian Enrichment Program
- Stuhr Museum
- Hastings Museum
- Ensign Beverage
- EA Engineering
- Fax Gilbert Entertainment
- JEO Consulting Group
- Nebraska Farm Bureau
- Smart Soil
- Shane’s Pump & Windmill Service
VOLUNTEERS
Students from Grand Island Senior High, Giltner High School, and Barr Middle School assisted as classroom guides and activity aides. The festival depends on more than 100 volunteers to guide school groups, assist presenters, manage registration, and serve in the lunch tent.
VOLUNTEER NEXT YEAR! Join the Central Platte NRD as we host youth at the Nebraska Children’s Groundwater Festival on May 12, 2026! Sign up to volunteer by calling 308-385-6282 or email Marcia Lee at lee@cpnrd.org.
EVALUATIONS
Volunteer Evaluation Form Presenter Evaluation Form
Professional water and natural resource professionals teach a range of topics related to groundwater, including aquifers, floodplains, watersheds, stream health, wildlife, ecosystems, wetlands, storm water, wastewater, groundwater for agriculture, soil health, and more. Volunteers guide students through these activities to ensure an engaging experience. The activities are held at the Central Community College (CCC) and College Park (CP) campuses in Grand Island. Activities are held in the campus classrooms and outdoors.
Schools in attendance in 2025 and counties represented:
- Ansley – Custer County
- Axtell – Kearney County
- Burwell – Garfield County
- Cambridge Homeschool – Furnas County
- Cedar Hollow (2 classes) – Hall County
- Centennial (2 classes) – Seward County
- Dodge (3 classes) – Hall County
- Doniphan Trumbull – Hall County
- Elba – Howard County
- Heartland – York County
- Hitchcock – Hitchcock County
- Humphrey St. Francis – Platte County
- Lawrence – Nelson – Nuckolls County
- Nebraska Christian – Merrick County
- New Hope – Hall County
- Newell (3 classes) – Hall County
- Ord (2 classes) – Valley County
- Palmer – Merrick County
- Red Cloud – Webster County
- Riverside – Boone County
- Sandy Creek – Clay County
- Sargent – Custer County
- Seedling Mile – Hall County
- Shell Creek (3 classes) – Platte County
- Shoemaker (3 classes) – Hall County
- Anthony – Platte County
- Edward – Boone County
- Paul (2 classes) – Howard County
- Vincent – Seward County
- Trinity Lutheran – Hall County
- Wheeler Central – Wheeler County
Your NRD Contacts: Marcia Lee 308-395-7551 | lee@cpnrd.org or Brody Vorderstrasse 308-395-7590 | brody@cpnrd.org
Flagship Event and Awards
Presenters and Activities
Jami Harper Festival Scholarship
Sponsors and Donations
The Nebraska Children’s Groundwater Festival, held annually in Grand Island since 1988, was the first statewide groundwater festival in the nation. Its successful model has since been replicated in 42 states, as well as in Mexico, Canada, India, and the United Kingdom.
The Nebraska Children’s Groundwater Festival supplements the groundwater education students receive through their school curriculum by providing an event where professionals teach hundreds of students in one day. Over 33,000 students have been educated at the Festival.
The Festival is held each May at the Central Community College and College Park in Grand Island. The festival reinforces groundwater quality, groundwater quantity and natural resources education that students receive by bringing 50 water and natural resources professionals together to teach up to 900 5th-grade students in one day. Approximately 125 volunteers from surrounding communities and businesses volunteer for the event.
Based on pre/post-test results, evaluations and a behavioral impact study, the festival has demonstrated its positive impact on children’s awareness, knowledge, and ultimately their behavior in groundwater protection.
Festival Awards
2023: Lee Named Educator of the Year by Project WET/Project Learning Tree
Marcia Lee and the Central Platte NRD staff utilize Project WET curriculum in coordinating the Nebraska Children's Groundwater Festival and for classroom activities, nature clubs, outdoor classrooms & community events. Read more...
2019: Izaak Walton League of America Roll Call Awards
In 2019, the Festival received the local and national Izaak Walton League of America Roll Call awards for educating over 30,000 youth in 30 years.
Adventure Camp About the Environment (ACE)
Nebraska’s NRDs annually host the Adventure Camp about the Environment (ACE). ACE is open to students who have completed 6th, 7th or 8th grade and want to learn more about natural resources. The areas campers will learn about aquatics, forestry, range ecology, wildlife & soils/land use.
ACE is scheduled for June 22-25 (Sunday-Wednesday) at Camp Kaleo in Burwell, NE. Campers will experience hands-on activities with a variety of speakers and explore possible careers in natural resources. It includes adventurous activities for campers such as a zipline, tanking & tubing, a campfire and many other games!
Registration $235/camper and includes meals, lodging & activities. Central Platte NRD provides $150 reimbursement for any youth residing within the District. CPNRD ACE SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION
Submit scholarship application to Marcia Lee: lee@cpnrd.org | F: 308-385-6285 | Central Platte NRD, 215 Kaufman Ave, Grand Island, NE 68803
Camp Core Sessions
Forestry Get the chance to learn about forestry in North America’s largest man-made forest.
Water Jump in the Middle Loup River to discover macroinvertebrates and what goes on in our water systems.
Range What better place to learn about our range ecosystems than in Nebraska’s National Grassland.
Soils Sand, clay, silt, loam. Nebraska is full of different soils to explore!
Wildlife Campers will be able to learn about our state’s wildlife in a hands on atmosphere.
Arrival & Departure: Once the registration form is received, additional information is sent to campers. Transportation to and from camp is the parents’ responsibility. Please arrive promptly with your campers.
Education Partners
Nebraska’s Natural Resources Districts, Nebraska Association of Resources Districts, Nebraska Game & Parks Commission, University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service Find us on Facebook: Adventure Camp about the Environment Your CPNRD Contact: Marcia Lee at lee@cpnrd.org | 308-395-7551
Nebraska Range Camp
Range Camp is for students between the ages of 14-18. The camp’s dynamic curriculum appeals to students with a wide array of interests including, but not limited to, rangeland management, conservation, ecology, animal science, and wildlife. Students who attend this camp will be actively involved with field activities, lectures, hands-on experience, recreational leadership, & team-building activities. Central Platte NRD will reimburse qualified students in the amount of $100 after confirmation from the Society of Range Management that the students have attended the full camp. CPNRD will request a list of camp attendees from the SRM and mail the sponsorship check to the parent listed on the registration form. Students must request sponsorship prior to attending the camp by providing a copy of their registration form to Marcia Lee.
Contact Marcia Lee at (308) 385-6282 or lee@cpnrd.org for details on the summer camps, scholarships, or range camps.
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Main Office
- 215 Kaufman Ave, Grand Island, NE 68803 308-385-6282
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Cozad Office
- 75887 Road 414, Cozad, NE 69130 308-380-8943
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NRCS Field Offices (Ext. 3)
- Central City 308-946-3035
- Kearney 308-237-3118
- Grand Island 308-395-8586
- Lexington 308-324-6314
- Osceola 402-747-2461
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Quick Links
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