EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY		CONTACT:	Marta Gronlund, 425-556-2427
May 13, 2008			Mobile:  425-638-2333

Students learn about Watershed

Over eight hundred fourth grade students from the Lake Washington, Issaquah and Northshore School Districts will be attending the annual Sammamish Watershed Festival next week to explore outdoor activities involving watersheds.  The Festival will be held May 20 to 22 from 10am until 1:30pm at Beaver Lake Park in Sammamish, Washington. 
 
"The Festival is held rain or shine," said Barbara Sullivan, Public Education Program Administrator for the City of Redmond and event co-chair.  "On rainy days, the students get to see firsthand how the water cycle works."  Peter Holte, Redmond's Natural Resources Habitat Volunteer Coordinator and co-chair, added, "We are excited to have the opportunity to work together on a regional scale."
 
Students will start the day with an opening ceremony at the Beaver Lake Lodge.  They will then rotate through a number of interactive educational stations including how wetlands work, watershed models showing the effects of pollution on ground and surface waters, a recycling game, a salmon challenge, native plant identification and identifying freshwater invertebrates from lake water samples.  Students also learn about water supply and water conservation. 
 
"The Sammamish Watershed Festival is a great way to introduce students to water and watersheds in an outdoor setting," said Janet Sailer, Conservation and Public Information Specialist for the Sammamish Plateau Water and Sewer District and event co-chair.  "Many area agencies and organizations within the Sammamish Watershed have stepped forward to sponsor this event." 
 
Festival sponsors include the Sammamish Plateau Water and Sewer District, City of Redmond, City of Sammamish, Cascade Water Alliance, Northshore Utility District, NE Sammamish Sewer and Water District, Puget Sound Energy, Woodinville Water District, Waste Management, Cedar Grove Composting, Parametrix, Dethman and Associates and the Saving Water Partnership.   In addition, speakers from Nature Vision, King County Solid Waste, Triangle Associates, Mountains to Sound Greenway, Parametrix, REI, King County Noxious Weed Control and King County WSU Extension are presenting at various Festival stations.

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