Portland Community College | Portland, Oregon

Water World Coming to PCC Rock Creek March 19

Photos and story by James Hill

No, Kevin Costner won’t be there, but Northwest Newschannel 8 Meteorologist Matt Zaffino will be, when a watery world is opened up for young eyes to see at Portland Community College’s Rock Creek Campus from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Friday, March 19.

The Sixth Annual Children’s Clean Water Festival will feature Zaffino as one of the many professional presenters educating elementary and middle schoolers from as far away as Woodburn on the water in our world. Professors, government officials, water resource professionals and environmental volunteers are charged with keeping the youths excited about water.

The festival will unleash as many as 1,500 environment-minded youngsters on the Rock Creek Campus to learn about everything from water sheds to conservation and water protection skills. Fun, hands-on tasks, engaging presentations, eye-opening exhibits and interaction with some of the most knowledgeable people in the state on water resource issues will help the youths understand the need to protect water resources and the tools to do the job. This year’s theme is "All One Water."

"This is a very academy-like event," said Julie Magers, festival organizer and director of the Children’s Water Education Project at Portland State University. "The kids come out and participate. And they get the information from the people who do that job."

Zaffino, a frequent presenter at the festival, is glad to be one of the many professionals participating in the festival.

"This is a great way to teach kids the relationship between the weather and groundwater, and how the entire natural world is connected," he said. "It has been a big success and that’s why I keep doing it."

Magers added that this year students will be presenting their own water-related projects at the festival. One such project will shine a light on students from Archer Glen Elementary in Sherwood. The students have spent most of their school year studying a pond in the city to learn valuable water and wildlife lessons. The youths will present their findings at a special VIP luncheon and in the festival’s exhibit hall.

Magers said she believes that what the students learn filters back to their friends and on into the home.

"They go home and talk to their parents about it," she said. "They go talk about it with their friends. They are already acting as interpreters of this information for those who aren’t familiar with water issues."

She said the goal of this festival has been to show children that they can make a difference in the fight for clean water, fish and wildlife protection and other environmental issues.

"We want them to understand that they do play a role in keeping this resource clean and viable for their generation and future generations."

For more information on the Children’s Clean Water Festival, or to volunteer your time during the event, call Julie Magers at 725-8288. The Rock Creek Campus is located at 17705 N.W. Springville Road.