Thousands of Halton District School Board students got up close and personal with a precious natural resource.

Students took part in the fifth annual Halton Children's Water Festival (HCWF) from September 28-October 1, 2010.

The Festival was co-hosted by Conservation Halton and Halton Region, in partnership with the Halton District School Board, the Halton Catholic District School Board, The City of Burlington, The Town of Halton Hills, The Town of Milton and The Town of Oakville.

The festival educates children about water, one of the world’s most precious resources, and was held at Kelso Conservation Area in Milton.

To recognize the fifth anniversary, the theme for this year’s festival was Biodiversity. 2010 is the International Year of Biodiversity. Students learned about water in a fun and interactive way while covering Ontario curriculum requirements. The festival featured nearly 60 curriculum-based, hands-on activity centres that incorporated four central water related themes:

• Water Science and Technology
• Water Conservation and Protection
• Water Health and Safety
• Water and Society

The Festival has grown every year since its inception in 2006, with the addition of grade two students in 2007, an expansion from three days to four days in 2008. Attendance has risen from 3,000 students in 2006 to an anticipated 4,200 students in 2010. At the conclusion of this year’s Festival, approximately 17,000 elementary school students will have had the opportunity to learn about water through the program since its inception.