Hundreds of elementary school students are soaking up the science behind water conservation this week at the 11th annual Chatham-Kent & Lambton Children's Water Festival.
Festival Coordinator Don Hector says about 2,000 elementary students will a get hands-on learning experience around water topics in an outdoor environmental setting during the festival at the CM Wilson Conservation Area in Chatham-Kent.
"We have about 600 elementary students here today who will be looking at over 40 hands-on interactive activities around water conservation and science," said Hector. "The students get fully involved and experience all of the activities."
The water festival is geared toward Grade 4 and Grade 5 students. The majority of schools involved are located in the Lower Thames River watershed and the Sydenham River watershed, as well as schools located along the St Clair River from Port Lambton to Sarnia and local First Nations communities.
"It’s all an outdoor setting and it’s all around water conservation, water attitude, and water science. We have our volunteers that lead the students interacting, learning about, and exploring water in our area," said Hector.According to Hector, one of the main goals of the festival is for students to learn and become catalysts for change by taking the knowledge and newfound respect for water back to their homes, schools, and communities.
The water festival also includes a message about climate change. Students learn about the local impact climate change has on their community, such as flooding and erosion, algae blooms and ways to reduce phosphorus runoff.
"A lot of them might not understand what goes on with the environment and how things work," said Hector. "They don't get that connection unless they see it, do it, and experience it. We hope that by introducing this at a young age, maybe down the road they take an environmental career or become a community leader."
The Chatham-Kent & Lambton Children’s Water Festival has been held annually since 2007. Almost 16,000 elementary students have attended the festival over the past eight years.
More information can be found online.
