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Teaching Water Conservation In Las Cruces

Second and third graders at University Hills Elementary school were able to get answers to their questions about where their water comes from, learn about a “missing pond,” and gain an inkling of understanding about the water cycle that ties us all together…thanks to a presentation from Las Cruces Utilities (LCU).

Rhonda Diaz, LCU water conservation program coordinator, says, “I explain what evaporation is and why outdoor watering at the hottest time of the day won’t be as effective as they think. We also talk about the water far beneath our feet and how we share water with other communities and other communities share with us.”

At this presentation, Diaz made use of a free resource – books! – provided by the New Mexico Office of the State Engineer (NMOSE). “Pecos and the Missing Pond” is a favorite mystery for kindergarten through second grade. In it, two kangaroo rat brothers named Pecos and Rio notice a local pond goes missing and figure out why. It’s a read aloud story, activity, and coloring book all in one; set in the New Mexico desert ecosystem that children see daily.

The books align with grade levels and are made to fit New Mexico’s Common Core State Standards so that they can be easily integrated with curriculum that a teacher may already have planned. The stories build reading skills and science vocabulary fluency. “Pecos and the Missing Pond” turns kids into environmental detectives.

“Children are just naturally curious about where our water comes from and where it goes,” says Diaz. “They tend to have plenty of questions, and they are so excited to try and guess the right answers about water.”

The books are free to New Mexico residents; many, like “Pecos and the Missing Pond,” are available in English and Spanish, and instantly downloadable if you have Adobe Reader on your computer. To download now or request free hard copies of the books, please visit: http://www.ose.state.nm.us/WUC/wuc_educators.php

Submitted by Las Cruces Utilities. You can reach Las Cruces Utilities at 528-3500 from 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Las Cruces Utilities provides GAS – WATER – WASTEWATER – SOLID WASTE services to approximately 100,000 Las Cruces residents and businesses.