Environmental News

More than 1,000 4th and 5th grade students from 44 classrooms in 17 Boulder area schools will take part in the 19th annual “Operation: Water Festival” from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Wednesday, May 11, at the University Memorial Center (UMC) on the campus of the University of Colorado at Boulder, 1669 Euclid Ave.

The water festival engages students in hands-on activities that teach them where drinking water comes from and how to protect and conserve this valuable natural resource. Students attend a series of classes where they also learn about the history, geography and science of water, explore the Boulder Creek watershed and its geology, and investigate the animals and plants that rely on water for survival.

This year marks the sixth year of the Operation Water Festival pre-festival program where teachers and students complete pre-festival activities on fundamental water awareness, conservation, pollution prevention and flooding. The packet includes a complete teacher’s packet featuring teacher’s guides, student worksheets and trivia questions for each water topic. “Water Agents” receive a certificate upon completion of the activities.

A key benefit of the Operation Water Festival materials is the take-home water agent book. This book features homework assignments that encourage students to work with family members to complete the assignments. As a result, parents and siblings alike also learn about water protection and conservation.

Festival sponsors include the Keep it Clean Partnership, the City of Boulder, Northern Water, the UMC, the CU-Boulder Community Relations Office and the Federal Bureau of Reclamation.

For more information, contact Curry Rosato, City of Boulder watershed outreach coordinator, at 303-829-9316.