15 years of watering young minds at Peterborough Children’s Water Festival

Almost 1,400 elementary school students participating at annual water education event at Riverview Park and Zoo

By GreenUP -
Published
At the Peterborough Children's Water Festival this week, Glen Caradus led students through the history of the Otonabee River from a cultural and environmental perspective by following the story of the river while children interact with a watershed model and find ways to conserve and restore the river (photo: Karen Halley, GreenUp)
At the Peterborough Children's Water Festival this week, Glen Caradus led students through the history of the Otonabee River from a cultural and environmental perspective by following the story of the river while children interact with a watershed model and find ways to conserve and restore the river (photo: Karen Halley, GreenUp)

For 15 years now, the Peterborough Children’s Water Festival (PCWF) has been delivering water-related education through a variety of hands-on, interactive activities.

Yesterday and today, students from Peterborough and the surrounding area are flooding the Riverview Park and Zoo as PCWF celebrates 15 years of water education. Students and volunteers are encouraged to “Bring the Blue” as they connect with our most essential resource — water.

The fifteenth PCWF will create a splash as close to 1,400 students in grades two to five, from 18 schools across Peterborough City and County and beyond, are participating.

Each year activity centres are reviewed, updated, and newly created to ensure that the information presented is up-to-date, relevant, and appealing. The activity centres are designed to provide a stimulating and active form of learning so that students learn as much as possible, while being active and having fun!

Water Festival Mascot Drippy made a special visit to the Peterborough Children's Water Festival to celebrate 15 years of watering young minds (photo: Karen Halley, GreenUp)
Peterborough Children’s Water Festival Mascot Drippy made a special visit to celebrate 15 years of watering young minds (photo: Karen Halley, GreenUp)
The 3Ps activity centre, one of the newest activities at the PCWF, teaches children that human waste and toilet paper should be the only things going down the toilet (photo: Karen Halley, GreenUp)
The 3Ps activity centre, one of the newest activities at the PCWF, teaches children that human waste and toilet paper should be the only things going down the toilet (photo: Karen Halley, GreenUp)
The PCWF and Peterborough Utilities Group unveiled the new Ptbo H20 mobile drinking station which is equipped with eight water fountains and eight water bottle refill stations (photo: Karen Halley, GreenUp)
The PCWF and Peterborough Utilities Group unveiled the new Ptbo H20 mobile drinking station which is equipped with eight water fountains and eight water bottle refill stations (photo: Karen Halley, GreenUp)
Children wearing moccasins dance on wild rice to remove the chaff from the grain at the Wild Rice Dance Off activity centre where they also learn about the history and lifecycle of the plant and the importance that water has on its development (photo: Karen Halley, GreenUp)
Children wearing moccasins dance on wild rice to remove the chaff from the grain at the Wild Rice Dance Off activity centre where they also learn about the history and lifecycle of the plant and the importance that water has on its development (photo: Karen Halley, GreenUp)
This year, the PCWF features 35 interactive learning centers. New learning centres include “Great Lakes”, “Splashy Feud”, and the newly revamped festival favourite “Sponge Bog Frog Hop”.
Children enjoy hands-on and interactive experimentation with the properties of soil at the launch of the new Wonders of Water (W.O.W.) program which will soon be bringing the PCWF into classrooms and learning spaces (photo: Karen Halley, GreenUp)
Children enjoy hands-on and interactive experimentation with the properties of soil at the launch of the new Wonders of Water (W.O.W.) program which will soon be bringing the PCWF into classrooms and learning spaces (photo: Karen Halley, GreenUp)
Over 100 high school students from TASS, St. Peter’s, Holy Cross, and Lakefield District Secondary School are dedicating time and energy toward the delivery of the learning centres to help educate the younger generation on the importance of water. Many of the students joining the festival in 2016 have participated in the PCWF as elementary students and are excited to pass along the knowledge and experience they gained years ago.

Many exciting water-themed surprises have been planned by the 2016 PCWF Organizing Committee, which is comprised of representatives from the City of Peterborough, GreenUP, Peterborough Utility Services, Ontario Waterpower Association, Otonabee Conservation, Riverview Park and Zoo, Trent University, and the community.

The PCWF, along with Peterborough Utilities, is proud to announce the unveiling of the new PTBO H20 Mobile Drinking Water Station at the PCWF. The PTBO H20 is equipped with eight water fountains and eight water bottle refill stations that can be used to refill water bottles with refreshing, cold tap water.

The PCWF is also preparing to bring the festival to the community through the new Wonders of Water (W.O.W) education program! Still in its infancy, the program is being launched at this year’s PCWF to bring the magic and thrill of the PCWF right into learning spaces, whether classrooms or informal community gatherings.

Many more surprises are also in store, including a visit from our mascot who will be handing out a take-home gift to students, courtesy of the TD Friends of the Environment.

Each week, GreenUP provides a story related to the environment. This week’s story is by Heather Ray, GreenUP Water Programs Coordinator.

The PCWF is thankful for the tremendous financial, in-kind and volunteer support received by the community. With more than 40 community supporters offering financial and in-kind contributions, and over 1,000 hours of volunteer time estimated for the two-day event, the PCWF could not be possible without the support and contributions made by the community.

Many thanks to funding made available by the Ontario Trillium Foundation in support of the PTBO H20 and the W.O.W education program.

For more information about the Peterborough Children’s Water Festival or the W.O.W program, please email PCWF Coordinator Heather Ray at info@pcwf.net, call 705-745-3238 ext. 208, or visit www.pcwf.net.

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