Fourth Graders Celebrate Water at the Kitsap Water Festival

My message to kids and adults is that water is the most precious resource on our planet. Having abundant, clean water is both a privilege and a responsibility. That is why Fourth grade students in Kitsap are invited each year to attend the Kitsap Water Festival. The Water Festival  is a whole day of learning and celebration about water. This year, Kitsap Water Festival 2013 is April 16, 2013.

Splash is the official Water Festival Mascot

The first water festival was in September 1994.  Annie Phillips from the Department of Ecology attended the Groundwater Festival in Nebraska and thought a similar festival would be an innovative and worthwhile event for Washington. She approached Kitsap PUD and Washington Sea Grant with $5,000 seed money; and the Kitsap Water Festival was off and running. Kitsap PUD and Sea Grant have remained involved throughout the years. Kitsap County Public works was soon a strong supporter. A team of committed supporters soon formed and have remained part of the planning team throughout the Water Festival’s 19 year history. 

 Students are selected by their schools districts to attend.  1200 students from five Kitsap school districts, private schools and home school groups will attend the festival this year.  Education experts, environmental professionals, storytellers, entertainers and members of the community make this a fun and memorable experience. Fourth grade students, their teachers and parent chaperones will arrive at the Kitsap Fair Grounds and receive a schedule for the day. They will attend presentations, free time exhibits and a magic show. Students will learn about the water cycle, streams, wetlands, fish and the Puget Sound. They will discover how to use our water resources wisely.

Jeff Adams from WA Sea Grant teaches kids about sea critters

Some of the exciting and valuable presentations at the festival are Killer Whale Tales, Morning Flush n’ Brush, Tidy Storm Drains, Tree Cookies and the Frog Chorus. Students make fish prints and play Dripial Pursuit with a real Water Wizard.

Kathleen Cahall from Bremerton Water Utilities talks to kids about our Water Cycle

Steffan Soule, nationally known magician, performs four shows throughout the day.  Students are fascinated by his sleight of hand while learning valuable lessons about the importance of water and the responsibility for caring for the resource.

Steffan Soul wows the audience with his performance

Fin the migrating Salmon visits the Festival each year. Fin is a 25’ crawl through Salmon that the kids tour during their free time. The paintings inside depict the Salmon migration story. Fin is rented from North Olympic Salmon Coalition.

students enter Fin the Migrating Salmon

Over 100 volunteers are an essential part of the festival. They make sure that the students get to presentations on time and help presenters with their activities. These volunteers are community members; some have been with the Festival since its inception.  Volunteers are rewarded by receiving an official Water Festival t-shirt. 

Our Wizard signing in with Laurelin Ward from Silverdale Water District

District busing to the festival is sponsored by the Kitsap Water Purveyors. The festival planning team includes Kitsap Utility District, Kitsap County Public Works Solid Waste, Wastewater, Surface and Storm Water Management, Silverdale Water District, Kitsap Public Health District, Manchester Water District, Washington Sea Grant, Parametrix, Inc. West Sound Utilities and the City of Bremerton.

 At the end of the day, the students, teachers and parents will go home with a better appreciation of water and will be inspired to protect our most important resource.

Volunteers are always welcome and needed at the Festival. Check out the Festival web site for details.