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Schools

New Water Smarts Rains Down on Fourth-Graders

The 10th annual Make a Splash! festival helps Eleanor Rush students learn more about the one necessity for all living things: water.

Along the rim of the Delaware River and under an autumn sun with a light crisp breeze, students, teachers and parents learned about the importance of our most precious resource: water.

On Friday, 185 fourth-graders from the participated in the 10th annual Make a Splash! water festival at Palmyra Cove Nature Park.

The kids learned about aquifers, ways to stop mosquitoes, water pollution and conservation.

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“We have thought in the past that water will last forever,” said John Shevlin, senior environmental specialist for the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. “But water is a finite resource.”

Throughout the day, students rotated through 16 interactive stations staffed by members from G.O. Environmental Inc., Burlington County Division of Mosquito Control, , New Jersey American Water Company, as well as volunteers from Palmyra Cove.

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“I found out today that only female mosquitoes bite,” Emily Ballinghoff, 9, said.

The festival promotes awareness, appreciation and knowledge of water resources, according to Elaine Mendelow, the organizer of the program and a retired teacher.

“I started this program because I think water will become scarcer than oil on the planet,” Mendelow said, who has received a $1,000 grant annually for each of the last 10 years from Project WET for the cause. “Now is a critical time to renew water.”

Mendelow said some years there have been a drought when the festival was held.

“But, not this year,” Mendelow said. “We have had plenty of rain, but it doesn’t mean we can take that for granted.”

was on hand with several of her reptilian friends and explained the importance of turtles to the environment.

“Just like vultures clean up road kill, snapping turtles are the scavengers of the creek,” Pierson said. “That’s why we have to keep the waterways clean.”

Fourth-grader Andrew Hinnersheetz said he learned that the Pompeston Ceek is polluted, after listening to volunteer Deb Lord.

“There are some animals that don’t live in there because of the dirt,” Hinnersheetz said.

Palmyra Cove director Clara Ruvolo said the park is a wonderful learning tool for the kids.

“Our mission is to provide as much learning and spark an interest,” Ruvolo said. “Through the efforts of wonderful volunteers, we can teach the children the importance of water.”

As the students finished their rotations, there was a  station with water samples—bottled, Cinnaminson and Philadelphia—for the kids to taste and vote for their favorite.

Volunteer Jill Ianuzzi laughed at the results.

“I would have thought the bottled water would have won,” Iannuzzi said. “But Philadelphia won with 82 votes.”

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