On April 24, 2023, the Board of Directors of the Calhoun County Groundwater Conservation District authorized the expenditure of up to $5,000.00 for sponsorship of field trips by 4th and 5th grade students from Calhoun County to the Wetland Education Center located in the INVISTA Victoria Plant Wetland for the purposes of promoting water conservation.  These funds can be used to cover expenses for the field trip such as bus transportation or associated student fees. The funding for this sponsorship is available for field trips that occur before October 1, 2023.  

The following form should be completed and submitted to the district to request sponsorship from the district for a field trip.  

The form requires the applicant to provide a description of the activities for which sponsorship is being sought.  For the purposes of this preapproved sponsorship opportunity, the activities are limited to field trips to the Wetland Education Center located in the INVISTA Victoria Plant Wetland related to water conservation.  To simplify the effort for applying for sponsorship, the following example of a qualifying description is provided:

• Approximately ______ students from _______________ class of _______________ School, with students living in Calhoun County, will participate in hands-on, educational activities at the INVISTA Victoria Plant Wetland in Victoria County on ____________, 2023.  During the field trip, students will learn about the important role wetlands play in conserving water by filtering sediment, absorbing pollution and excess nutrients, and slowing stormwater runoff into streams and lakes.

​Prior to submitting an application for sponsorship to the district, applicants should coordinate with Mr. John Snyder, Environmental Specialist of the INVISTA Victoria Plant Wetland to schedule the field trip for which sponsorship is sought.  Mr. Snyder may be contacted at wetlandspecialist@gmail.com or (361)652-5451. 

The district anticipates awarding sponsorships of $1,000.00 or less to each qualifying application within 3 days of application receipt.