The Corpus Christi Caller Times, the daily newspaper in the Water District's service area, published a story profiling the district conservation education program and Karen Ivey, assistant secretary to the Water District Board of Directors.

Reporter Jaime Powell pointed out that Karen's work assignments at the District are never done. Here's some of what the story had to say:

Ivey has water bills to prepare, board packets to compile and phones to answer. But during the past eight years, she also has established herself as the agency's authority on conservation. Ivey has made it her mission to educate against wasting water and orchestrate projects, such as xeriscaped gardens now dotting San Patricio and Aransas County, that practice what she preaches.

Xeriscaping uses native plants that require less water to survive and rocks, gravel, decking and seating, instead of grass, which needs a lot of water to survive in the South Texas heat. Ivey installed a garden at elementary schools in Gregory and Taft and the county extension office in Aransas County. She also made major contributions to a recently completed demonstration gardens at the Welder Wildlife Refuge.

The water district provided all the funding for a 3,000-gallon water catchment tank and the materials necessary for irrigation at both a native grass garden and a wildflower garden, said Mandy Corso, a conservation educator at the Welder Wildlife Refuge. The two new native gardens and the water catchment and irrigation systems can be used in educational programs.

"It would not have been possible without Karen," Corso said.

San Patricio County Judge Terry Simpson led the way toward Ivey's newest undertaking Tuesday -- a massive xeriscaped and rainwater irrigated garden in front of the events center at the San Patricio County Fairgrounds in Sinton.

"I told them, we don't have the money, but we certainly have plenty of space," Simpson said, pointing at the garden, which is nearly complete. "It's an excellent tool for education and the landscaping helps the event center."

Ivey said she approached Simpson because the fairgrounds is a high traffic area, where both kids and adults can learn the value of water conservation. The garden will include signage, arbors and seating when it is complete, Ivey said.

"I look for sites where the public goes where I can educate," she said. "You can enjoy the garden and sit down or we can take school groups. I hope to show people it does not have to be turf to be nice."

Ivey also makes appearances at San Patricio County schools, where she hands out educational materials about rivers and makes rainwater harvesting presentations to students.

Ivey said she takes conservation seriously after growing up in a family, including her 103-year-old grandmother Mary Lee Thiede, that doesn't believe in waste. Today's young people think that if they turn on the faucet that water always is going to come out. Most don't realize that about 50 percent of the people in the world don't have a safe drinking water supply, Ivey said. - Caller Times

* Want to know more about RAINWATER HARVESTING? Take a look here.