the garden island PUA LOKE — How many drops fit on a penny? Just one of the many questions students could get hands-on answers to at the Make A Splash with Project Wet program Friday At the park across the
the garden island
PUA LOKE — How many drops fit on a penny?
Just one of the many questions students could get hands-on answers to at the Make A Splash with Project Wet program Friday
At the park across the county Department of Water, keiki learned of the adhesive principles of water first hand.
DOW public relations specialist Faith Shiramizu said 530 fifth graders from public and private schools were invited to the educational, interactive program.
Shiramizu, who has spearheaded the event since taking over her position recently, said she’ll be working to get the home school students involved for next year’s event.
“She’s only been here for two months and she pulled it all together,” said Clarita Remegio of the DOW’s finance department. “There was one year we didn’t have the event.”
This year’s Make A Splash with Project Wet was the seventh year overall and the third on Kaua‘i.
Students descended on the park in a frenzy.
“I learned how not to waste water,” said ‘Ele‘ele School student Chazlyn Aki.
Squeals of delight emanated from one end of the park where students formed two lines for a bucket brigade.
“That is probably the most exciting station,” Shiramizu said. “When the students leave, I think we’ll let the volunteers and water department people try their hand at it, too.”
Students worked through 10 active educational stations could also view a cross section of a fire hydrant and other static displays.
“The event teaches the students about water, where it comes from, how it can get polluted and how to conserve it,” Shiramizu said.
Jeraiah Banasihan, another ‘Ele‘ele School student, said she learned what an aquifer is, while Taylor Gaspar and Tiffany Patricio-Huddy got a grasp on daily water usage. “A person uses between 50 and 60 gallons of water,” said Regina Miner.
Larry Dill, utilities manager for Princeville at Hanalei, pulled students out of his session on brown water.
As a graphic demonstration on the properties of soil, he asked the students to huddle together, symbolic of clay molecules. He then asked two students to try and make their way through the crowd, the two students representing water molecules.
Retired school teachers helped train the presenters, Shiramizu said, and Kapa‘a High School J.R.O.T.C. cadets helped before, during and after the event.
DOW staff, the police and fire departments and state Department of Land and Natural Resources Forestry Division all chipped in as well.
In the H2O Olympics, students tried their hands at floating paper clips, dropping pennies in a water-filled container and dropping water on a penny to learn about some of water’s properties.
These activities were enhanced by a question and answer period hosted by DOW employee Dustin Moises.
“This is the first time I’ve done it,” said Q&A lead Dustin Moises of the DOW. “I didn’t know what to expect.”
• Dennis Fujimoto, photographer and staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 253) or dfujimoto@kauaipubco.com.
