More than 140 fourth graders from Bridge Point Elementary School in the Eanes Independent School District spent the day studying rocks, planting flowers and learning about the Edwards Aquifer at the KBDJ, LP limestone quarry in Hays County. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, Hill Country Conservancy and Hays County AgriLife Extension Office took part in the field trip, giving presentations on stormwater runoff, native plants and soil, respectively. Dr. Sigrid Clift, from the Jackson School of Geosciences at the University of Texas at Austin, also gave a presentation on the Texas Rock Cycle, an exercise demonstrating rock transformation.
Bridge Point Elementary students plant wildflower seeds at KBDJ. Photo courtesy of Bruce Fisher.
“This is the third straight year we’ve hosted Bridge Point and it just keeps getting better,” said Jill Shackelford, president of KBDJ. “The kids were so excited and energetic and they asked excellent questions.”
One difference this year from past field trips is that the students actually went into the mine on a charter bus. On the quarry floor is where most of the operation takes place; boulders are moved from the quarry walls to the covered rock crusher, where they are broken into smaller rocks that are eventually sold as base material or aggregates for the construction of roads, homes and commercial buildings. Industrial Asphalt is currently mining the site and providing aggregates and asphalt to State Highway 130.
Students actually went into the quarry to study the rock being mined. Photo courtesy of Bruce Fisher.
Judging by thank you notes from the students, the experience was a big hit.
“This was one of the best field trips of my life,” wrote Daniel. “My favorite station was the quarry ride because I liked (seeing) the dump trucks dump rocks into the crusher.”
Emily added, “it was so cool plant flowers, see the truck dump the rock and learn about rock. Thank you for all the work you do to help the earth.”
This is the third straight year that KBDJ has hosted fourth graders from Bridge Point. Photo courtesy of Bruce Fisher.
KBDJ, LP is a certified wildlife habitat conservation site by the internationally-recognized Wildlife Habitat Council. The company’s employees and community partners conduct numerous environmental projects throughout the year to preserve and protect the open space surrounding KBDJ’s active mining operation. KBDJ also offers its site as an outdoor classroom to schools and professional organizations seeking to study the Texas Hill Country.
In recent years, KBDJ has won numerous awards including the Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce’s 2010 Take on Traffic Award, the Texas Aggregates and Concrete Association’s 2009 Good Neighbor Award and Pit & Quarry Magazine’s 2008 Producer of the Year Award.
For a full slideshow of the event produced by photographer Bruce Fisher, please click here and type “limestone” into the password.
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