By KRISTIN CONOR
FHSU 310 Leadership Team

On October 8th, a warm Saturday in Hays, Fort Hays State University 310 Leadership Team, Hays Medical Center (HMC), KSU Watersheds and the city of Hays teamed up to have the “What’s in Your H20?” Family Fun Fest and Nature Trail Walk on the HMC Nature Trail behind the hospital.

Approximately 150 people attended the free afternoon event and everyone had a great time. Food and drink were also provided.

People started in Parking Lot F of the HMC campus and then walked throughout the nature trail. Along the way they visited multiple educational stations that consisted of fun learning opportunities for families to get a hands-on experience.

These experiences consisted of learning about soil, water and native vegetation, which was the whole idea of the event. There were eight interactive education stations manned by FHSU agriculture students and members of the track team, Ellis County Master Gardeners, Ellis County Extension Office, and Jim Strine, retired Northwest Kansas District Forester.

Using the Enviroscape model with Kool-Aid, pepper and cocoa, FHSU ag students showed how stormwater carrying pollutants such as fertilizer, pet waste and sediment quickly enters water supplies. Members of the FHSU track team helped participants design T-shirts using rubber stamps and paints to learn that “Native Plants are the ROOTS to Clean Water!”

Hays Medical Center has done a great job changing their landscape to become more natural and using native grasses and wildflowers that lower their water usage as well as protect stormwater runoff which then helps Hays’ water quality as a whole.

HaysMed was the recipient of the Hays 2016 Water $mart Landscape Award for commercial landscapes.

The members of the FHSU 310 Leadership team were Kristin Conor, Austin Foster, Kelly Wycoff and Joe Krier. Project coordinator was Stacie Minson, KSU Watershed Specialist, WaKeeney.