Red Lake DNR making a splash with annual “Wave of Knowledge: Learning the Language of Water,” Water Festival

The Red Lake DNR is making a splash with their annual “Wave of Knowledge: Learning the Language of Water,” Water Festival to be held at Concordia Language Villages. Over two hundred and fifty 5th grade students and teachers from within the Red Lake Watershed: Blackduck, Kelliher, Northome, Ponemah, Red Lake, and St. Mary’s Mission Schools will be attending. The Water Festival is scheduled for Thursday October 13th snow, rain, or shine.

The 5th Grade Water Festival is a tradition of collaborative outdoor environmental education. It is an interagency effort between the Red Lake DNR, Environmental Protection Agency, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Beltrami County Environmental Services, Leech Lake Department of Resource Management, University of Minnesota, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Minnesota Department of Health, and Concordia Language Villages.

The children will have hands-on education regarding nonpoint source pollution through two interactive environmental contamination models as well as race to remove nonpoint source pollution from storm drains, and learn about septic systems. The children will learn about forestry, fire impacts, air and water quality, and examine water wildlife adaptations while exploring wetlands and their watersheds. The students will learn about the culture of water, wells and groundwater, climate change, and become a water molecule travelling various pathways of the water cycle. Students will also have the opportunity to create and experiment with stream channel dynamics.

In addition, each student will have the chance to tour and explore the unique BioHaus, one of the most energy-efficient buildings in the world, and learn how conserving energy helps us to keep our waters clean and our fish healthy.

The Water Festival allows us to educate our youth about the important aspects of water pollution within the Red Lake Watershed. The teachers and students that have attended in the past have found the water festival to be fun, informative, well-planned, and entertaining.

Red Lake Watershed Water Festival - http://www.redlakednr.org/water_festival.html