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October 1,
2007
LIVINGSTON,
Ala.--The
University of West Alabama will host approximately
650 fourth-graders Tuesday, Oct. 23, for the fifth
annual Sumter/Marengo Water Festival. The students
from Marengo and Sumter county schools will
participate in classroom sessions and hands-on
activities focusing on groundwater, the hydrologic
cycle and the importance of water to all life.
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Fourth-graders learn about pollution from
their handmade "Watershed in a Box." |
“The students will
learn where their drinking water comes from and how to
protect it and keep it clean for themselves and
future generations,” said Allen Tartt, director of UWA’s Alabama Onsite Wastewater Association Training
Center.
Tartt says the success
of the Sumter/Marengo Water Festival has prompted
other West Alabama counties to contact UWA about
implementing the program in their communities.
“With four previous
Water Festivals under our belt, we’ve educated well
over 2,000 kids from Sumter and Marengo counties,
and the fifth festival will push the mark to over
2,500,” he said. “As a result of our efforts and the
success of the Water Festival concept in other areas
of the state, thousands of fourth-graders are being
reached through this important and fun educational
experience each year, helping them to become better
stewards of Alabama’s abundant water resources.”
Local students will
learn about the relationships between plants,
wildlife, soil and water during fun interactive
activities and classroom sessions.
“We want to teach them
how human actions affect all nature, including our
water, and about the need for responsible
conservation of our natural resources,” Tartt said.
Organizers have planned
several experiments and demonstrations that help the
children grasp the environmental concepts of water.
The most popular activity each year proves to be the
edible aquifer.
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Students from U.S.
Jones Elementary in Demopolis enjoying their edible aquifers. |
“The aquifers have
layers of ice cream, chocolate syrup, sprinkles and
more. After the children build them, they get to eat
them. Everyone loves that activity,” said Tartt.
After the morning
sessions, comedian and “rockin’ eco-hero” Steve
Trash will conduct a magic show tailored to this age
group. Trash, who has taken his act across the
globe, will perform magic tricks with garbage and
teach the students about ecology in his entertaining
style.
Each student, teacher
and volunteer will also receive the official Water
Festival T-shirt, featuring the annual T-shirt
competition’s winning design. The winning designer
and his teacher will both receive a $50 prize at the
festival. In addition, each teacher will receive a
bag filled with free posters, booklets and other
environmental education materials.
Participating schools
from Sumter County include Kinterbish, Livingston,
North Sumter, York West End and Sumter Academy.
Marengo County schools attending the festival are
Amelia Johnson, John Essex, Linden, Marengo County,
Sweetwater, U.S. Jones and Marengo Academy.
Water festival sponsors
include the UWA College of Education, the Sumter
County Soil and Water Conservation District, the
Tombigbee Resource Conservation & Development
Council, the Sumter County Water Authority and the
Alabama Soil and Water Conservation Committee.
Together they hope to foster a general environmental
awareness and stewardship ethic in the children.
For more information
about the Sumter/Marengo Water Festival or to
volunteer, contact Allen Tartt at
atartt@uwa.edu or 205-652-3803. |
