By Staff Reports
(LĪHU‘E) – Over 750 students attended the Department of Water’s (DOW) Eleventh annual Make a Splash with Project WET (Water Education for Teachers) Festival held Thursday at the Pua Loke Arboretum.
“The event was a complete success and we could not have done it without the support of our community, volunteers, county and state departments, Board of Water and DOW staff,” said Kim Tamaoka, DOW’s public relations specialist who was in charge of coordinating the festival. “We look forward to this continuing this annual event, where we can work together to give back to our community, and help educate students about our most precious natural resource.”
Students create a water web to illustrate the interdependence among water users and producers in the Department of Water’s Make a Splash with Project WET festival’s “Water Works” activity.
Every year, the DOW invites fifth grade students from around the island to attend the Make a Splash with Project WET festival. The event brings together parents, students, teachers, government agencies and enthusiasts of all kinds for a common cause to raise awareness for water education and conservation.
At the festival, students participate in dynamic hands-on activities, games and educational exhibits and learn how this critical natural resource affects water-dependent activities like agriculture, recreation, the local industry and wildlife habitats. Students leave the event with a better perspective on how they can contribute to water’s wise use and protection.
Kaua‘i is currently the only island that organizes this water education festival.
Students compete in a Water Olympics to investigate two properties of water, adhesion and cohesion, in the Department of Water’s Make a Splash with Project WET festival’s “H20 Olympics” activity.
The DOW would like to thank the following supporters of the Make a Splash with Project WET festival: East Kauai & West Kauai Soil and Water Conservation Districts; Kukuiula Development Company; American Resort Development Association (ARDA); state Department of Education; state Department of Health – Safe Drinking Water Branch; state Department of Land and Natural Resources – Forestry and Wildlife Division; UH College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources (UH-CTAHR) Kauai Agricultural Research Center; American Association of University for Women; H20 Pono; Kauai Fire Department, Kaua‘i Police Department; Office of the Mayor; and the Kauai Board of Water Supply and DOW staff.
For more information about the Make a Splash with Project WET Festival, please call the Department of Water at 245-5455.