Playa field day set for Sept. 28 in Anton

General information about playa ecosystems, improved monitoring of playa inundation via satellite imagery, a tour of playa restoration achieved through the Texas Playa Conservation Initiative (TXPCI), and a tour of The Tap, an Ogallala Aquifer exhibit at At’ll Do Farms in Shallowater are highlights of a Playa Field Day to be presented by Ogallala Commons on Wednesday, Sept. 28 from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Church of Christ Annex in Anton.

Registration for the event is $20 per person (which includes the cost of lunch, drinks,andsnacks). Toregister, please email or call Dr. Darryl Birkenfeld, Ogallala Commons Director ( darryl@ ogallalacommons. org or at 806-9452255).

The workshop is sponsored by Ogallala Commons and its partners: the High Plains Underground Water Conservation District, the Dixon Water Foundation, and Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.

Farmers, ranchers, agency personnel, educators, and the interested public are invited to attend.

Participants should arrive in Anton by 9:15 a.m. for registration and refreshments.

After introductions, Heather Johnson, Migratory Game Bird Specialist, Region I, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Lubbock, will provide an overview of playa ecosystems and the Texas Playa Conservation Initiative at 9:40 a.m.

At 10:10 a.m., Dr. Erik T. Crosman will discuss the benefits of expanded satellite imagery to monitor playa inundation periods.

After a break, J. Eric Simpson will give an overview of his art exhibit, The Tap—as a sensory experience of the Ogallala Aquifer.

At 11:15 a.m., a sandwich lunch will be served, then at 11:45 a.m. the group will depart for a driving tour to visit restored playa properties located north of Anton.

At 12:30 p.m., the group will arrive at At’ll Do Farms in Shallowater, to visit The Tap exhibit.

At 1:15p.m., Jim Steiert, agriculture and outdoor writer and playa author from Hereford will close the event with brief remarks.

Playas are shallow, rainfed wetlands throughout the Great Plains. When containing surface water, playas provide crucial habitat for many wildlife that depend on water to survive. When dry, playas also support several other Great Plains wildlife species because they are often the only natural lands in a region dominated by agricultural production. Playas also recharge water to the underlying aquifer, filter nutrients and chemicals from the surrounding watershed, and add recreational value to the region.