16th Halton Children’s Water Festival Draws Over 3,600 Students to Kelso Conservation Area

Staff Report

The 16th annual Halton Children’s Water Festival, co-hosted by Conservation Halton and Halton Region, welcomed over 3,600 elementary school students for four enriching days of educational fun from September 26 to 29.

Excited participants like Sakshi, a Grade 3 student at Maplehurst Public School in Burlington, shared their experiences. Sakshi exclaimed, “We got to do lots of activities and fun stuff with water. The best part is being in nature because I love plants. I also learned how to recycle and went on a school bus for the first time.”

The festival featured 60 engaging learning stations with unique themes such as ‘Wildlife and Water,’ ‘Regional Waterscapes,’ ‘Bucket Brigade,’ and ‘Highway H2O.’ These stations offered curriculum-aligned content covering four thematic areas: water and society, water conservation and protection, water health and safety, and water science and technology. An incredible team of more than 500 high school students served as activity leaders and Waste Ambassadors, dedicating over 2,500 volunteer hours to the festival.

Pasquale Cerisano, a Grade 4 teacher at St. Catherine of Alexandria Catholic Elementary School in Georgetown, expressed his enthusiasm for the festival’s educational value. He stated, “It was so great to see my Grade 4 students learn about ecosystems, how they work, and how to respect them. I enjoyed all aspects of the festival, especially Highway H2O…the demonstration of water flow was amazing. It mimicked real-life water systems on a smaller scale for students to see how it works.”

Set against the picturesque backdrop of the Niagara Escarpment and Kelso Reservoir, this in-person event provided high-quality environmental education within the natural beauty of Kelso Conservation Area.

The success of the Halton Children’s Water Festival 2023 was made possible through the collaborative efforts of its partners and supporters, including the Halton District School Board, Halton Catholic District School Board, Conservation Halton Foundation, City of Burlington, Town of Halton Hills, Town of Oakville, Wilfrid Laurier University, DSEL, GEO Morphix, and R.V. Anderson Associates.