Over 4,000 local students engage in annual water festival

By Fernando Arce, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Milton Reporter

Over 3,800 elementary school students stepped outside the classroom and into the wild to learn about the function and value of local watersheds at the 17th annual Halton Children’s Water Festival.

The event, co-hosted by Conservation Halton and Halton Region, focused on four thematic areas of the elementary school students’ classroom curriculum: water and society, water conservation and protection, water health and safety, and water science and technology.

“Our students learn best when they have access to hands-on, interactive learning—it makes a huge difference,” says Jennifer Casciani, a Grade 3 teacher at J.M. Denyes Public School in Milton.

“This is a fantastic opportunity for students to learn about the importance of protecting our watershed, where waste goes, and how we can make a difference.”

Taking place over four days from Sept. 24-27 at Kelso Conservation Area in Milton, the students participated in 60 unique learning stations encouraging creative problem-solving and team-building skills, including ‘Migration Mania,’ ‘Just Add Rain,’ and ‘Regional Waterscapes.

The students found the ability to mix learning with fun an absolute success.

“There’s so many activities you can do, and plus, you’re learning,” said Mikaela, a Grade 3 student at St. Gregory the Great Public School in Oakville. “The coolest thing I learned [was that] wetlands are like sponges!”

The event was in large part a success thanks to the more than 500 high school students from 12 local institutions who contributed more than 3000 volunteer hours as activity leaders and Waste Ambassadors.

“It’s good for kids to learn how their ancestors had to get water. Now, water comes out of the tap. Activity stations like [the Pioneer Water Race] teach kids to be grateful for water and to understand where it comes from,” said Isabella, a Grade 11 student at Notre Dame Catholic Secondary School in Burlington.

The Halton Children’s Water Festival is conducted annually to combine Ontario curriculum requirements with “all aspects of water through inquiry and investigation,” according to its website.

“Conservation Halton is proud to deliver outdoor education programs to enable our youth and children to connect with nature. The Halton Children’s Water Festival is the perfect immersive format for young students to learn about all aspects of our most important natural resource and their local watershed,” says Chandra Sharma, president and CEO of Conservation Halton.

“We want to thank our community partners, including our co-host Halton Region, and the many volunteers and staff who made this year’s festival such a great success.”

“At Halton Region, delivering and maintaining the high-quality drinking water we provide to homes and businesses every day is one of our top priorities. Thank you to all the volunteers and our dedicated community partners who help us make this event possible each year,” said Gary Carr, Halton regional chair.

“We are proud to partner with Conservation Halton to deliver this exciting and interactive festival for students to learn more about water conservation and protection. Preserving and protecting our natural environment, including water, is a responsibility we all share.”