“Walking around the Hjemkomst Center and grounds, you could feel the excitement of the 1550 fourth graders from 26 schools during the Red River Water Festival. Their eagerness to learn about all things water was reflected in their curious faces and intermittent giggles. The students were able to learn and experience a variety of topics through different presenters. Stations included “Would You Drink This Water,” “Stream Sense,” “H2O Olympics,” and many others. Not only were they able to hear about water processes in the environment, but they also heard about the negative impacts currently affecting water sources. Along with this, they discussed ways in which they could practice better water sustainability. You could really see their faces light up when they applied this knowledge to an interactive activity or game.” – Isabella Ternes – Sustainability, Multimedia Journalism, and Photojournalism Intern
We celebrated three individuals who have led and assisted with activities at the Red River Water Festival for numerous years. It is because of people like Mark, Leslie and Dianne that the Red River Water Festival is both a fun and educational experience for students. Their commitment to helping multiple generations of youth understand the importance of fresh water, water quality, water treatment and nonpoint source pollution is very much appreciated and will have an impact for years to come.
A huge thank you to Red River Water Festival major sponsors Xcel Energy and the North Dakota Department of Water Resources/Project WET! Other sponsors include: Scheels, Houston Engineering, AE2S, RDO, R.D. Offutt Company, City of Fargo and the City of Moorhead.
The Red River Water Festival has exceptional support from nonprofits, universities and businesses who are willing to integrate their efforts to provide youth water education, expertise and activity supplies. This event allows many of us to fulfill our missions efficiently in a unique setting. Their employees lead activities with topics such as water treatment, water properties, trees, water quality, how rivers form and more. Other tasks include keeping the students and presenters on task and helping set up/take down.
Many thanks to Clay MN Swcd, International Water Institute, Cass County Soil Conservation District, The Red River Zoo, Red River Basin Commission, Moorhead Public Service, The City of Fargo – Government, Concordia College, KLJ, Minnesota Extension Master Gardeners Clay County, Goldmark, MN Department of Natural Resources, and North Dakota Water Resources Department.