C.M. Wilson Conservation Area will be turned into a giant classroom next week for hundreds of local students, as they learn more about water.
The 13th annual Chatham-Kent Lambton Children’s Water Festival will take place at the conservation area in Blenheim from October 1-3.
Around 2,100 Grade 4 and 5 students are expected to attend over the three-day period to participate in hands-on interactive activities covering five water themes — Water Science, Water Technology, Water Conservation, Water Protection and Water Attitude. An additional 300 high school students and 100 adult volunteers will also be involved in delivering the program for the elementary students.
“We believe there is a strong need for a variety of outdoors, hands-on educational experiences around a number of environmental themes in our local area,” organizers said in a news release. “Themes dealing with water and water issues are particularly relevant in this area of the province where a variety of rural and urban issues around use of water, water contamination and aquatic habitat issues are currently very topical.
Since 2007, over 20,000 elementary and 3,400 high school students have experienced the festival. Over this time more than 1,000 adult volunteers have helped deliver the event.
