JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-RANDOLPH, Texas –
A variety of activities highlighting Joint Base San Antonio's commitment to protecting and improving the environment are planned next week to observe Earth Day and Arbor Day.
Activities include information booths Tuesday at JBSA-Lackland, Wednesday at JBSA-Randolph and April 25 at JBSA-Fort Sam Houston along with an Arbor Day celebration April 28 at Fort Sam Houston Elementary School. Information booths will be open 10 a.m. to
1 p.m. at all three locations.
"This year, we are wrapping Earth Day, which is observed Tuesay, with Arbor Day on April 25," Archie Cooper, JBSA pollution prevention manager, said.
Cooper, who is coordinating activities with Bryan Hummel, JBSA natural resources specialist, said the official observance started Feb. 22 with the JBSA-Fort Sam Houston Basura Bash at Salado Creek Park. Cleanup efforts at JBSA-Lackland and JBSA-Randolph preceded that event.
"This year's Basura Bash was the fourth year JBSA has participated in the citywide creek cleanup and the city's 20th year," he said. "This year was the biggest turnout in the brief history of the cleanup at JBSA."
Cooper said the Basura Bash at Salado Creek Park drew 195 volunteers from all JBSA locations, the third-largest turnout citywide.
"Volunteers collected 3,820 pounds of trash, 920 pounds of metal and 19 tires for a total of more than 4,700 pounds," he said. "The metal and tires will be recycled."
JBSA's total for all three cleanup efforts was 6,730 pounds, Cooper said.
"This accounted for more than 13 percent of the citywide total of 25 tons," he said.
Next week's activities will include the information booths at the JBSA-Lackland and JBSA-Randolph exchanges and at the demonstration garden near the JBSA-Fort Sam Houston Exchange, Cooper said.
"Representatives from civil engineering will hand out information about the various environmental programs such as water conservation, air quality and recycling," he said.
In addition, representatives are scheduled to visit Randolph Elementary School to attend the students' Garden Club meeting.
The Arbor Day celebration at 9 a.m. April 28 at Fort Sam Houston Elementary School will highlight the school's new rain garden, Hummel said.
"During periods of rainfall, the garden will fill up like a small pond and the water will infiltrate the soil," he said. "The water will stop there instead of running off."
Funds for the rain garden and similar projects at the other JBSA locations were obtained through National Environmental Education Foundation grants totaling $26,000, Hummel said.
Other projects included a rain garden at Lackland Elementary School and 10 raised beds for various plantings at Randolph Elementary School.