Hundreds of school children in southwestern Ontario are learning about the importance of water this week. The Children’s Water Festival is taking place at Fanshawe Conservation Area. Despite cooler temperatures that limited some activities, students from Grades 2 to 5 still had ample opportunity to learn about water conservation, science, protection and technology, according to Linda Smith, the event’s coordinator. “Here they’re going to learn where their water comes from, how it’s getting to their tap, and how they can take better care of it when it’s here. And then as it leaves, where it’s going,” she explained. Older students, including Ceclia, took the message to heart. “I want to respect the environment, and I want to respect the animals who live in the sea,” she told CTV News. The children also learned about the impact of water on land animals and birds. New this year, two stations that focused on the tie between water and the Indigenous communities. Kids were invited to express their understanding through art and song, explained instructor Wahsayzee Deleary, representing the Onieda Nation of the Thames and the Chippewa of the Thames First Nation. “We don’t always think about water as living or having a spirit. And as Indigenous people, that is what we believe and know to be true. So, if we develop a good relationship with the water and the environment around us, then we’re more likely to make better decisions,” she said. And those water conservation decisions begin when we are young, as Shea, a Grade 5 student, proved. “Well, I don’t keep my tap on. I close it once I’m done. And when I’m brushing my teeth, I don’t leave the water on the entire time. I only use it when I need it,” Shea said. The Children’s Water Festival is holding a free family night, Thursday evening from 5 p.m. until 8 p.m.
