{"id":38622,"date":"2024-09-09T08:00:09","date_gmt":"2024-09-09T12:00:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.fondriest.com\/news\/?p=38622"},"modified":"2025-05-07T08:41:40","modified_gmt":"2025-05-07T12:41:40","slug":"water-conservation-and-smart-growth-in-texas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.fondriest.com\/news\/water-conservation-and-smart-growth-in-texas.htm","title":{"rendered":"Water Conservation and Smart Growth in Texas"},"content":{"rendered":"

As states face annual droughts and water use continues to grow in order to meet population and production demands, water conservation is essential to protecting natural resources and long-term reliance.<\/p>\n

Over the years, conserving water has become more necessary as the world\u2019s natural resources continue to be strained in order to meet needs. As a result, water conservation consultants have filled an essential niche in resource management.<\/p>\n

Eddie Wilcut, the Water & Energy Efficiency Practice Leader at Plummer<\/a>, started his career in the Air Force, where he took some classes focusing on water resources. In those classes, Wilcut read Aldo Leopold\u2019s \u201cA Sand County Almanac,\u201d and a specific line has stuck with him for the past 26 years.<\/p>\n

Wilcut quotes Leopold\u2019s text, saying, \u201c\u2018We have the duty to do not only what is environmentally and aesthetically right, but also what is economically expedient.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

He continues, \u201cIn other words, what he was saying is that we must consider the business case for doing the right thing. And I think more than anything, that statement set me on the path that I follow today, which is making the business case for doing the right thing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Water Conservation and Encouraging Smart Growth<\/span><\/h3>\n

Having grown up in south Texas, Wilcut grew up hearing about the misuse of water resources and the declining Edwards Aquifer impacting San Antonio\u2019s water use, as well as being warned about the growing water and energy needs of cities as they grow.<\/p>\n

In response to the declines, the city implemented pumping restrictions and invested millions in water conservation efforts. Wilcut stresses that water conservation isn\u2019t just about doing what\u2019s right\u2014it\u2019s about doing what is necessary.<\/p>\n

He elaborates, \u201cI was able to develop real programs and real partnerships that went a long way. I look back today, and I see that 20 years later, San Antonio is using about the same amount of water, but they have grown by 20%. That\u2019s a win-win situation, and what we like to call \u2018smart growth.\u2019 So that\u2019s really how I got started.\u201d<\/p>\n

Because water and energy are closely related, conservation must occur on both fronts. No city or business will stifle its growth without reason, and smart growth ensures that these entities can continue to meet public needs while balancing water and energy use and cost to ensure sustainable growth.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt takes a tremendous amount of energy to produce water, and a tremendous amount of water to produce energy, so we always need to consider both. What we can\u2019t do is assume that we\u2019re doing the right thing simply by trading one resource for another,\u201d stresses Wilcut.<\/p>\n

\"Team

Team member measures water flow in a shower to determine its average water use. (Credit: Water and Energy Efficiency Team \/ Plummer)<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n

Developing Plans for Smart Growth<\/span><\/h3>\n

In addition to helping businesses and cities achieve smart growth, Wilcut helps ensure that institutional knowledge on conservation practices is passed down to the next generation of professionals. According to Wilcut, preserving this knowledge ensures that conservation plans are considered in the long term, not just the short term.<\/p>\n

In the post-COVID world, it has become more difficult for professionals like Wilcut to connect with clients\u2014however, he believes it\u2019s never been more important to make those connections.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat is it that keeps them up at night? What do they struggle with? What problems can you help them address? We lose so much in a phone call, a Zoom call, a Team\u2019s call\u2014we really need to make the effort to meet with our clients face-to-face if we\u2019re going to foster strong partnerships or collaborations,\u201d explains Wilcut.<\/p>\n

He continues to state that many conservation plans are boilerplate solutions, but Plummer works to go beyond these often unspecific solutions. Instead of creating generic plans, Wilcut works more closely with partners, examining the factory, building, or other locations where resources are being overused and creating targeted solutions.<\/p>\n

Fortunately, many of the clients reaching out to Plummer for recommendations are open to more efficient and effective practice changes in order to save on cost. In the future, the price of water and energy will inevitably increase, and choices made today will have a huge impact.<\/p>\n

While drought management and water-use ordinances are effective when enacted, they are short-term solutions to emergencies\u2014smart growth seeks to prevent these emergencies through informed use and management.<\/p>\n

Forming State and Local Partnerships<\/span><\/h3>\n

Over the years, Plummer has worked closely with factories, businesses, and government entities to preserve natural resources for future generations.<\/p>\n

The city of Dallas and Plummer have had a long-standing partnership for over two decades, working with government officials and departments to conserve resources. In 2005, Dallas Water Utilities and Plummer wrote the first strategic conservation plan, which went several steps further than the typical boilerplate water conservation plan.<\/p>\n

In a strategic plan, the company sets long- and short-term goals, defines the steps needed to meet those goals, how long the programs will run, what the budget is, and other elements often missed in the boilerplate solution. The strategic plan also looks at current use and identifies any losses that exist within current practices.<\/p>\n

Wilcut explains, \u201cSome utilities have a 10% water loss, meaning that 10% of all the water they produce is lost through leaks in the distribution system. With cities the size of Dallas, San Antonio, and Houston, you\u2019re talking about 1000s of miles of mains. So, one of the efforts outlined in the strategic plan is reducing leaks by repairing and replacing mains.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"

Team member measures water flow in a sink to determine its average water use. (Credit: Water and Energy Efficiency Team \/ Plummer)<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n

He continues, \u201cIt\u2019s a very robust report\u2014several 100 pages\u2014and what it lists out is what you\u2019re going to do, how you\u2019re going to do it, and all the costs associated.\u201d<\/p>\n

The success of the plan secured a partnership between Plummer and the city that has lasted over 20 years.<\/p>\n

A similar partnership in San Antonio allowed Wilcut to work with private companies and government entities. To this day, Wilcut continues to develop commercial and institutional water conservation programs for these groups.<\/p>\n

Private companies like Frito Lay produce large quantities of products distributed across the U.S. and utilize a large amount of energy and water in order to meet manufacturing goals. The goal of the partnership between San Antonio and Frito Lay was to decrease water use overall and save the company money on utilities.<\/p>\n

The city of San Antonio provided Frito Lay with over $400,000 in rebates to reduce water consumption. A year after the project concluded, Frito Lay successfully reduced water use by 50% and doubled production.<\/p>\n

In a board meeting with the city shortly after the conclusion of the project, Wilcut stated, \u201c\u02bbOver the last year, Frito Lay has effectively doubled their production of potato chips in San Antonio. They\u2019re producing double the amount of product with the same amount of water! Isn\u2019t that what we want?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

He continues, \u201cThere\u2019s no city that is going to put a moratorium on growth. It\u2019s just not going to happen [. . .] So, what you want to do, and the best thing to do is accommodate smart growth.\u201d<\/p>\n

When Wilcut first entered this career in the late 90s, he worked with schools and local businesses like hotels to see how he could help them conserve water. Unfortunately, many of these upgrades were unattainable due to cost.<\/p>\n

\"Team

Team member inspects sink in a commercial-grade kitchen to check for leaks. (Credit: Water and Energy Efficiency Team \/ Plummer)<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n

To remedy this, the city of San Antonio secured 3.3 million dollars a year for these conservation programs. When the funding became available, the partnerships Wilcut had formed early on at the schools and businesses were the first to receive funds.<\/p>\n

\u201cIncluding those people and developing those partnerships was so important. Outreach is the only way you\u2019re going to identify those partnerships. You have to really solicit involvement and feedback, and you have to be passionate enough about what you do to grab people\u2019s interest,\u201d states Wilcut.<\/p>\n

He adds, \u201cIf you really believe in what you\u2019re doing, and you\u2019re passionate about it, you get people that stick around. Twenty-six years later, I have some lifelong friendships that started back in the 90s, based on my approach to partnerships and outreach.\u201d<\/p>\n

Conclusion<\/span><\/h3>\n

Wilcut elaborates, \u201cWhen it comes to environmental regulations, and people are fighting over violations of environmental rules in the court system, spending millions of dollars on attorneys and settling out for less-than-expected fines\u2014how much of that money could have been saved? And how much bigger of an impact could we have had on the environment if we had actually worked with people and made the business case for doing the right thing?\u201d<\/p>\n

Seeing the success of these win-win scenarios and smart growth initiatives has been the most rewarding part of Wilcut\u2019s 26-year-long career.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve had the honor and privilege of witnessing 1000s of success stories over my 26 years, and I\u2019m hopeful for many more,\u201d states Wilcut.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

As states face annual droughts and water use continues to grow in order to meet population and production demands, water conservation is essential to protecting natural resources and long-term reliance. Over the years, conserving water has become more necessary as the world\u2019s natural resources continue to be strained in order to meet needs. As a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":42,"featured_media":38626,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[23,5,32,7,8],"tags":[2208,2524,2533,2534],"class_list":["post-38622","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-earth-atmosphere","category-featured-articles","category-lakes-reservoirs","category-news","category-newsfeed","tag-land-use","tag-resource-management","tag-water-conservation","tag-water-use"],"remote_post_permalink":false,"remote_post_featured_image":false,"yoast_head":"\nWater Conservation and Smart Growth in Texas<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Water conservation practices are vital to ensuring long-term reliance on resources, and consultants like Plummer play a key role in ensuring smart growth.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fondriest.com\/news\/water-conservation-and-smart-growth-in-texas.htm\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Water Conservation and Smart Growth in Texas\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Water conservation practices are vital to ensuring long-term reliance on resources, and consultants like Plummer play a key role in ensuring smart growth.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.fondriest.com\/news\/water-conservation-and-smart-growth-in-texas.htm\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Environmental Monitor\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2024-09-09T12:00:09+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-05-07T12:41:40+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.fondriest.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Plummer_IMG_5329-1_ForWeb.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"940\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"705\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Samantha Baxter\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Samantha Baxter\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"8 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.fondriest.com\\\/news\\\/water-conservation-and-smart-growth-in-texas.htm#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.fondriest.com\\\/news\\\/water-conservation-and-smart-growth-in-texas.htm\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Samantha Baxter\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.fondriest.com\\\/news\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/341002b379397e09112d3edcefc25a50\"},\"headline\":\"Water Conservation and Smart Growth in Texas\",\"datePublished\":\"2024-09-09T12:00:09+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-05-07T12:41:40+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.fondriest.com\\\/news\\\/water-conservation-and-smart-growth-in-texas.htm\"},\"wordCount\":1541,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.fondriest.com\\\/news\\\/water-conservation-and-smart-growth-in-texas.htm#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/news.fondriest.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2024\\\/09\\\/Plummer_IMG_5329-1_ForWeb.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"land-use\",\"resource management\",\"water conservation\",\"water use\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Earth & Atmosphere\",\"Featured Articles\",\"Lakes & Reservoirs\",\"News\",\"Newsfeed\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.fondriest.com\\\/news\\\/water-conservation-and-smart-growth-in-texas.htm#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.fondriest.com\\\/news\\\/water-conservation-and-smart-growth-in-texas.htm\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.fondriest.com\\\/news\\\/water-conservation-and-smart-growth-in-texas.htm\",\"name\":\"Water Conservation and Smart Growth in Texas\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.fondriest.com\\\/news\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.fondriest.com\\\/news\\\/water-conservation-and-smart-growth-in-texas.htm#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.fondriest.com\\\/news\\\/water-conservation-and-smart-growth-in-texas.htm#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/news.fondriest.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2024\\\/09\\\/Plummer_IMG_5329-1_ForWeb.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2024-09-09T12:00:09+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-05-07T12:41:40+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.fondriest.com\\\/news\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/341002b379397e09112d3edcefc25a50\"},\"description\":\"Water conservation practices are vital to ensuring long-term reliance on resources, and consultants like Plummer play a key role in ensuring smart growth.\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.fondriest.com\\\/news\\\/water-conservation-and-smart-growth-in-texas.htm\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.fondriest.com\\\/news\\\/water-conservation-and-smart-growth-in-texas.htm#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/news.fondriest.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2024\\\/09\\\/Plummer_IMG_5329-1_ForWeb.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/news.fondriest.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2024\\\/09\\\/Plummer_IMG_5329-1_ForWeb.jpg\",\"width\":940,\"height\":705,\"caption\":\"Plummer WEES team member inspects an industrial cooling tower to determine how it is running. (Credit: Water and Energy Efficiency Team \\\/ Plummer)\"},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.fondriest.com\\\/news\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.fondriest.com\\\/news\\\/\",\"name\":\"Environmental Monitor\",\"description\":\"Application and technology news for environmental professionals\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.fondriest.com\\\/news\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.fondriest.com\\\/news\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/341002b379397e09112d3edcefc25a50\",\"name\":\"Samantha Baxter\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/8e97f39daccd348464e975668c310d7f7a93150e1d47044f68a24f83153c25e8?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/8e97f39daccd348464e975668c310d7f7a93150e1d47044f68a24f83153c25e8?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/8e97f39daccd348464e975668c310d7f7a93150e1d47044f68a24f83153c25e8?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Samantha Baxter\"},\"description\":\"Samantha M. Baxter is a Writer and the Managing Editor for Fondriest Environmental. She received B.A. degrees in Integrated Language Arts Education and Political Science at Wright State University. She was hired as an intern in the spring of 2022 and has continued to work as a writer and editor for the Environmental Monitor, FishSens Magazine and other Fondriest Environmental pages. As a writer, Samantha works with researchers from across the country to craft stories that highlight their work and its impacts. As an editor, Samantha works with graphic designers, fellow writers, and various environmental professionals to create unique content for Fondriest Environmental. Samantha enjoys swimming, running, reading and playing video games in her free time.\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.fondriest.com\\\/news\\\/author\\\/samanthab\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Water Conservation and Smart Growth in Texas","description":"Water conservation practices are vital to ensuring long-term reliance on resources, and consultants like Plummer play a key role in ensuring smart growth.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.fondriest.com\/news\/water-conservation-and-smart-growth-in-texas.htm","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Water Conservation and Smart Growth in Texas","og_description":"Water conservation practices are vital to ensuring long-term reliance on resources, and consultants like Plummer play a key role in ensuring smart growth.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.fondriest.com\/news\/water-conservation-and-smart-growth-in-texas.htm","og_site_name":"Environmental Monitor","article_published_time":"2024-09-09T12:00:09+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-05-07T12:41:40+00:00","og_image":[{"width":940,"height":705,"url":"https:\/\/www.fondriest.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Plummer_IMG_5329-1_ForWeb.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Samantha Baxter","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Samantha Baxter","Est. reading time":"8 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.fondriest.com\/news\/water-conservation-and-smart-growth-in-texas.htm#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.fondriest.com\/news\/water-conservation-and-smart-growth-in-texas.htm"},"author":{"name":"Samantha Baxter","@id":"https:\/\/www.fondriest.com\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/341002b379397e09112d3edcefc25a50"},"headline":"Water Conservation and Smart Growth in Texas","datePublished":"2024-09-09T12:00:09+00:00","dateModified":"2025-05-07T12:41:40+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.fondriest.com\/news\/water-conservation-and-smart-growth-in-texas.htm"},"wordCount":1541,"commentCount":0,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.fondriest.com\/news\/water-conservation-and-smart-growth-in-texas.htm#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/news.fondriest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Plummer_IMG_5329-1_ForWeb.jpg","keywords":["land-use","resource management","water conservation","water use"],"articleSection":["Earth & Atmosphere","Featured Articles","Lakes & Reservoirs","News","Newsfeed"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/www.fondriest.com\/news\/water-conservation-and-smart-growth-in-texas.htm#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.fondriest.com\/news\/water-conservation-and-smart-growth-in-texas.htm","url":"https:\/\/www.fondriest.com\/news\/water-conservation-and-smart-growth-in-texas.htm","name":"Water Conservation and Smart Growth in Texas","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.fondriest.com\/news\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.fondriest.com\/news\/water-conservation-and-smart-growth-in-texas.htm#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.fondriest.com\/news\/water-conservation-and-smart-growth-in-texas.htm#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/news.fondriest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Plummer_IMG_5329-1_ForWeb.jpg","datePublished":"2024-09-09T12:00:09+00:00","dateModified":"2025-05-07T12:41:40+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.fondriest.com\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/341002b379397e09112d3edcefc25a50"},"description":"Water conservation practices are vital to ensuring long-term reliance on resources, and consultants like Plummer play a key role in ensuring smart growth.","inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.fondriest.com\/news\/water-conservation-and-smart-growth-in-texas.htm"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.fondriest.com\/news\/water-conservation-and-smart-growth-in-texas.htm#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/news.fondriest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Plummer_IMG_5329-1_ForWeb.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/news.fondriest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Plummer_IMG_5329-1_ForWeb.jpg","width":940,"height":705,"caption":"Plummer WEES team member inspects an industrial cooling tower to determine how it is running. (Credit: Water and Energy Efficiency Team \/ Plummer)"},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.fondriest.com\/news\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.fondriest.com\/news\/","name":"Environmental Monitor","description":"Application and technology news for environmental professionals","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.fondriest.com\/news\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.fondriest.com\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/341002b379397e09112d3edcefc25a50","name":"Samantha Baxter","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8e97f39daccd348464e975668c310d7f7a93150e1d47044f68a24f83153c25e8?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8e97f39daccd348464e975668c310d7f7a93150e1d47044f68a24f83153c25e8?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8e97f39daccd348464e975668c310d7f7a93150e1d47044f68a24f83153c25e8?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Samantha Baxter"},"description":"Samantha M. Baxter is a Writer and the Managing Editor for Fondriest Environmental. She received B.A. degrees in Integrated Language Arts Education and Political Science at Wright State University. She was hired as an intern in the spring of 2022 and has continued to work as a writer and editor for the Environmental Monitor, FishSens Magazine and other Fondriest Environmental pages. As a writer, Samantha works with researchers from across the country to craft stories that highlight their work and its impacts. As an editor, Samantha works with graphic designers, fellow writers, and various environmental professionals to create unique content for Fondriest Environmental. Samantha enjoys swimming, running, reading and playing video games in her free time.","url":"https:\/\/www.fondriest.com\/news\/author\/samanthab"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fondriest.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38622","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fondriest.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fondriest.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fondriest.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/42"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fondriest.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=38622"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.fondriest.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38622\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":38631,"href":"https:\/\/www.fondriest.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38622\/revisions\/38631"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fondriest.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/38626"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fondriest.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=38622"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fondriest.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=38622"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fondriest.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=38622"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}