650 students expected at Southern Maine Children's Water Festival this Friday

Portland, Maine - Around 650 fourth, fifth and sixth grade students and their teachers from 13 area schools will flow onto USM'S Portland Campus next Friday for a day of fun and interactive learning about clean water, wetland ecosystems and the importance of stewarding Maine's most rapidly renewable resource.

The 18th annual Southern Maine Children's Water Festival is organized through a partnership of the Maine Department of Environmental Protection, the Casco Bay Estuary Partnership, Poland Spring, Portland Water District, the University of Southern Maine and 19 other local, state and federal agencies, businesses and nonprofit organizations.

Elementary and/or middle schools from Portland, South Portland, Brunswick, West Gardiner, Richmond, Kennebunk, Long Island, Georgetown, Lewiston, Waterboro, Mexico and Cape Elizabeth will be attending.

Activities include Dripial Pursuit, a quiz show on water issues with VIP hosts; classroom activities led by the State's leading environmental educators; an interactive play staged by Ferry Beach Ecology School; and plenty of time to tour the exhibition hall, where there will be dozens of displays-including a marine tidepool touch tank- focusing on engaging environmental protection topics like oil spill clean-up, reading a secchi disc to determine water quality and the process through which wastewater is treated.

The media is encouraged to attend as the event provides great visuals. Please contact Beth Chase in advance of the water festival or via cell phone at 592-6157 the day of the event if you would like assistance in planning your coverage or guidance around the campus.

**WHO**: 650 southern Maine fourth, fifth and sixth graders and their teachers and more than 100 volunteers from the Maine Department of Environmental Protection, Portland Water District, the Casco Bay Estuary Partnership, Poland Spring, University of Southern Maine and 19 other local, state and federal agencies, businesses and nonprofit organizations.

Participating schools include:
Montello Elementary
Georgetown Central
Greater Portland Christian School
Aucocisco School
Long Island School
Kennebunk Elementary
Marcia Buker School
Brunswick Junior High School
Meroby Elementary
Waterboro Elementary
Helen Thompson School
Skillin Elementary
Sebago Elementary

**WHAT**: 18th Annual Southern Maine Children's Water Festival

**WHERE**: Sullivan Gym, University of Southern Maine Portland Campus

**WHEN**: 9:30 a.m. to 1:50 p.m., Friday, May 17