In a continuation of annual tradition, over 600 5th graders from around Pierce County converged on the University of Puget Sound campus for the Children’s Water Festival. The eager students spent the day learning about water through activities such as fish dissections, wildlife displays, water testing, and models. The campus was abuzz as the students soaked in all the information they could and interacted with the volunteers who made the event possible. Over 120 volunteers participated, representing organizations such as local water purveyors, Harbor WildWatch, Tacoma Water, Pierce County PublicWorks, and many others. Students from Jason Lee Middle School and Spanaway Lake High School were also part of the event, hosting stations and working with the younger students. PCD is in our third year of coordinating the event, and the volunteers are critical to the event’s success every year.

The University of Puget Sound also deserves much of the credit, as they have hosted the event the past two years. At UPS, the 5th graders experienced a university atmosphere, 2017 Water Festival in the Books visiting labs and other learning spaces that many of them have never seen. We hope that some of these students continue their learning about protecting natural resources and return to the Festival as experts and educators one day in the not-too-distant future.