River Guardianship Symposium is today
Conservation and research organizations will host the 3rd Annual River Guardianship Symposium from 5 to 8:30 p.m. today at the San Marcos Activity Center.
The San Marcos community celebrates the protection of the river every year with a SPLASH Fest. This year, the festival involves 15 days of different events around the city of San Marcos. SPLASH is designed to be an all-inclusive community platform to inspire connection in celebration of the creative community and river culture. July Moreno, the founder of the Mermaid Society said there are very important topics to cover.
“From this event, we hope all of our community will be on the same page about protecting the river,” Moreno said. “The main topics will be to form an alliance and discuss current concerns, and also to make a City Council board specifically for the river focused on recreation, arts and culture, and of course, protection.”
The symposium is designed to serve as a catalyst for community engagement for the protection and preservation of the river. Community and Research Manager of The Meadows Center, Miranda Wait, said the event is coordinated and hosted by The Meadows Center for Water and the Environment, Eyes of the San Marcos River, the Biology and Geography Departments at Texas State, the Lions Club and the San Marcos River Foundation.
“There will be information and opportunities to help out the conservation of the river and a look at different research that has been done on the river,” she said. “The river is the lifeblood that runs through our community and the University. We all need to know how we can protect our water source to ensure that it will be here for future generations.”
During this event, the executive director of the Meadows Center, Dr. Andrew Sansom, will moderate a panel discussion, where different topics about the river will be deliberated. Sansom said the leaders of the community have recognized the river’s importance and the need for community involvement.
“The community should be involved in this event to protect our river,” he said. “We need high-level management to help protect the river. I am so pleased that organizations like the Mermaid Society were founded to promote art, awareness, economic development, and conservation.”
To find out more about the River Guardian Symposium, visit Mermaid Society's website.
