WVDEP's Mill Creek Water Festival set for Jackson County

CHARLESTON, W.Va. - The West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection's (WVDEP) Project WET program is teaming with The Friends of Mill Creek to host

an outdoor learning opportunity for close to 270 Jackson County fifth-graders.

The inaugural Mill Creek Water Festival is scheduled from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Thursday, September 26, at Ripley City Park. Seven elementary schools will be represented at the event, which focuses on water-related education. Students will rotate through stations covering topics such as stream insects, healthy habitat for fish, flooding, acid rain and the water cycle. Activities are designed to be hands-on and interactive, making learning fun for the participants.

The WVDEP's Project WET (Water Education Today) program hosts several water festivals a year throughout the state to promote water conservation and environmental stewardship in West Virginia's future decision makers. The festivals are targeted toward fifth-grade students and designed to help teachers meet learning standards.

The Friends of Mill Creek is a volunteer-led watershed group that supports the 21-mile Mill Creek Water Trail, which flows through Ripley.

Staff from the WVDEP, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, along with other volunteers, will serve as the lead presenters at the Mill Creek event.

Grade schools participating include Cottageville, Evans, Fairplain, Ripley, Gilmore, Kenna and Ravenswood.

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