West Bonner students dive into water fest fun

LACLEDE — West Bonner County students were among the 475 fifth-graders from public and private schools across Bonner County who learned about the areas water resources during the 24th annual Pend Oreille Water Festival last week.

“I thought that learning about the human impact on our watershed was so important,” said Anna Hertzberg, fifth-grade teacher at Idaho Hill Elementary, adding that things like car oil, fertilizers, pesticides, and waste from pets and farm animals impact the water quality of the areas creeks, rivers and lakes.

“I also thought it was interesting how we can determine the local water quality by identifying which macroinvertebrates inhabit our local waters,” she said.

Over two days, Thursday and Friday, fifth-graders from Priest River, Idaho Hill and Priest Lake elementaries, among others, rotated through the different stations, which included water quality, animal tracks, fisheries, watershed, fur trapping and orienteering. The macroinvertebrates Hertzberg referred to were part of the water quality station, where kids learn to identify them by their different characteristics — using real bugs, of course. The station is often a favorite among the young festival-goers, as is the animal tracks station where they get to decorate a keepsake bandanna.

“All in all, it was a great program,” Hertzberg said. “The organizers put together a very valuable set of lessons, and the experts did a great job educating the children.”

About 35 of experts from different organizations, such as U.S. Forest Service, Idaho Fish and Game, Panhandle Health and Kaniksu Land Trust, among others, were the instructors for each of the stations. Sandpoint High School science teacher John Hastings enlists high school students to volunteer every year and, in general, he said they need 28 each day of the festival. On Friday, 42 teens volunteered, so each fifth-grade team had at least one high school student helping out, serving as guides and mentors.

Hastings said he has been helping out at the festival for 11 years, though classes from SHS have been helping for the 24-year duration of the event. Gail Bolin, festival coordinator with the Bonner Soil and Water Conservation District, said the festival has been held at the Riley Creek Recreation Area in Laclede since 1996. It was started by Tri-State Water Quality Council, she said. When they closed in 2012, however, the Bonner Soil and Water Conservation District took over.

The purpose of the Pend Oreille Water Festival, Bolin said, is to empower children with the knowledge to appreciate, respect, protect and conserve the area’s water resources.

“It’s to engage kids, get them outside — sitting in a classroom sometimes doesn’t get the message across,” she said “Some of the schools are now doing what they call experiential learning — we have been doing it for 24 years— and it works.”

The festival is co-sponsored by the Bonner Soil and Water Conservation District and the Army Corps of Engineers, and is supported through grants and donations.

Mary Malone can be reached by email at mmalone@bonnercountydailybee.com and follow her on Twitter @MaryDailyBee.