More than 200 children learn about water monitoring, health at La Jolla Shores
SAN DIEGO, CA – September 30, 2010—San Diego Coastkeeper and Sister Schools of San Diego hosted their 9th Annual World Water Monitoring Day today at La Jolla Shores. The event featured water quality educational activities for approximately 200 school children from San Diego and Tijuana, Mexico, and kicks off a student water monitoring program in seven countries.
“World Water Monitoring Day allows students to join together and take a hands-on approach to understanding the value of clean water for people, plants and wildlife,” said Liz Hinkle, Director of San Diego Sister Schools. “Over 500 students in San Diego County and hundreds more around the world will use test kits to monitor water quality in rivers near their homes. Students will share their data with others around the world to illustrate the international importance of protecting water quality for which we are all responsible.”
During World Water Monitoring Day, students rotated through a number of interactive water education activities including Coastkeeper’s Water Quality Monitoring and Edible Aquifer, Think Blue, City of San Diego and I Love A Clean San Diego ‘s Watershed Models, and Birch Aquarium at Scripps Ocean Acidification and the San Diego County Office of Education’s Green Machine. This year’s events celebrated public stewardship of water quality and conservation, the importance of clean water in the San Diego Region and educating youth on watershed protection and the value of World Water Monitoring Day.
“It’s essential to connect children to water quality issues in their backyard and across the globe,” said Clay Clifton, San Diego’s Coastkeeper’s Water Quality Monitoring Program Director. “With World Water Monitoring Day, we’re helping tomorrow’s leaders understand today how they can make a difference in protecting and preserving San Diego’s natural resources.”
Today’s event kicked off with a welcome by speakers from San Diego Coastkeeper, Nigella Hillgarth of the Birch Aquarium and Ron Plotkin of Sister Schools of San Diego.
The event brings attention to World Water Monitoring, which is an international outreach program to build public awareness and involvement in protecting water resources around the world. In addition to the 200 students participating in the event in La Jolla Shores, over 500 students across the county will use test kits to collect and analyze water samples in the coming months. Their water monitoring results will be shared with students around the world who are also participating in water quality monitoring in China, Japan, Poland, Turkey and Russia.
Participating schools in this year’s World Water Monitoring Day festivities included San Diego’s Perkins Elementary, Muirland Middle, Crawford Multimedia & Visual Arts, Hilltop High School, and Tijuana, Mexico’s Colegio Effel, Instituto Defensores de Baja California, Instituto, Juan Diego, and Instituto Metropolitano.
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ABOUT SAN DIEGO COASTKEEPER
Founded in 1995, San Diego Coastkeeper protects the region’s inland and coastal waters for the communities and wildlife that depend on them by blending education, community empowerment and advocacy. Visit us online at https://www.sdcoastkeeper.org. Coastkeeper is a registered trademark and servicemark and is licensed for use by Waterkeeper Alliance.
ABOUT SISTER SCHOOLS OF SAN DIEGO
Sister Schools of San Diego is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting cross-cultural understanding by connecting schools around the globe. Classrooms separated by border, culture, and geography are united through similar interests and common principles. Students participate in collaborative projects ranging from literature and social development to science and technology. By connecting classrooms worldwide, we use the academic setting to conquer ignorance, bridge cultural gaps, and create international friendships. www.sisterschoolsofsandiego.org
ABOUT THE SAN DIEGO CITIZEN WATERSHED MONITORING CONSORTIUM
Led by San Diego Coastkeeper and the Sister Schools of San Diego, with participating organizations San Diego River Park Foundation, San Diego Stream Team, and the State Water Resources Control Board’s Clean Water Team. The San Diego Citizen Watershed Monitoring Consortium facilitates and coordinates water monitoring activities throughout the region, including providing testing kits for K-12 students to participate in the World Water Monitoring Month. The San Diego Citizen Watershed Monitoring Consortium thanks County of San Diego Watershed Protection for making this year’s World Water Monitoring Day and Month activities possible. www.sdcwmc.org
