UC Irvine’s Aldrich Park was transformed into a water wonderland Wednesday for 5,700 Orange County third-, fourth- and fifth-graders.
The 27th annual Children’s Water Education Festival, sponsored by the Orange County Water District, featured 60 interactive booths with fun activities and makeshift labs.
OCWD director Erik Weigand said the two-day event aims to not only to educate kids about protecting water resources and the environment, but also to expose them to the university experience and possible careers in water, such as hydrology, geology, engineering, chemistry and trade jobs like mechanics.
But on Wednesday, children seemed to just be having fun.
The colorful Disney “Radiator Springs” booth taught them about water conservation and distribution. Students passed cups of water to their classmates, some getting wet in the process, and learned that in some societies water doesn’t just flow out of a faucet — it has to be manually fetched.
They learned at the Disney “Once Upon A Planet” booth that a jellyfish is 95% water, that an evaporated water molecule stays in the air for more than 10 days, and that water is the only substance on earth found naturally in three forms: liquid, solid and gas.
At the OCWD booth, “Groundwater Replenishment System,” students learned that treated wastewater can be purified beyond drinking water standards.
Weigand said OCWD “operates the world’s largest water reuse project,” which produces a million gallons per day.
Children got their hands dirty at Irvine Ranch Water District’s “Create Your Own Pollinator” booth.
“Kids love learning about bees, butterflies, hummingbirds and ladybugs,” said Dawn Jordan-Romero of Irvine Ranch Water District. “And we had fun helping them make their own water-efficient pollinator plant to take home.”
Brooklyn Chan, 10, a fourth-grade student at St. Columban in Garden Grove is now going to become a water conservationist.
“I will take less time in the shower,” she said. “I won’t leave the water running when I brush my teeth.”
The festival continues on Thursday.
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