Wildlife Photograph

Water Fest - May 7th, 2010 9:00am to 1:30pm

   

Stare into the murky water
What is there to see?
"Nothing but my clouded reflection
Staring back at me."

The river dances, the river sings,
The river provides us many things
Look deeper into the moving water
Tell me what you see.

"I see a muddy shore, a few fish, four old cans. But nothing more."

Ah yes. This is anyone's first guess
But hidden away, below the river,
Lives many creatures that swim or slither.
The river provides both food and water,
For insects, for animals, for plants, for us.
The river dances, the river sings,
The river provides us many things.

Alexandria B. Walker

Poetry Contest Winner 2009

 

WaterFest is an annual, day-long festival at Ijams Nature Center for area students that focuses on environmental and water quality education and outdoor activities. WaterFest is designed to teach area students the importance of maintaining healthy watersheds. In the past the event has been attended by more than 900 students and educators from 15 different schools. Exhibits at Waterfest teach participants about local watersheds, healthy wetland ecosystems and aquatic life found in the waters of the Tennessee Valley. WaterFest activities include papermaking, launching water rockets, creating earth parfaits and designing water hats. Included in a past year's event was a community service tree-planting project. WaterFest is an activity of The Water Quality Forum which was established in 1990 and is a cooperative network of agencies, nonprofit organizations and citizens working to improve the health of the waterways in East Tennessee in accordance with the goals of the Clean Water Act.  Please contact Kara at (865) 577-4717 ext. or email her at keast@ijams.org

Waterfest2009