HS Environmental Club Helps Deerfield Learn About Water

Deerfield Elementary School took its turn hosting the ninth annual Aquafest last week with the help of Millburn High School's Environmental Club.

The elementary students spent last Wednesday morning, May 22, learning about water and how to keep it clean at seven different educational stations ending with the skit about how garbage and pollution can affect a river by the  Environmental Club.

"Aquafest was a big success," the elementary school's principal Kelly Salazar said. "Deerfield students not only enjoyed the event but learned a lot too. The biggest compliment of the day was the students asking when Aquafest was coming back again."

Deerfield students each took turns at stations with Millburn High School Environmental Club members and people representing the Cora Hartshorn Arboretum, Millburn Township Forester, New Jersey American Water, the Great Swamp Watershed and Essex County Environmental Center.

Each student spent seven minutes at each of the following tables:

1. The Great Swamp Watershed (Sophia Hull, Emily Meringolo, Hazel England): swamp ecosystem
2. Essex County Environmental Center. (David Alexander, Gina Mongiello): wetlands ecosystem
3. NJ American Water Company (Kathleen Udasco): drinking water collection, treatment, quality control
4. Cora Hartshorn Arboretum (Vera Figuerido): pervious vs impervious surfaces and how that influences aquifers and our drinking water
5. Millburn Township Forester (Tom Doty): how trees affect the water table and prevent soil erosion
6. Millburn HS Environmental Club (names below): how different pollutants affect the water table - Enviroscape demo
7. Millburn HS Environmental Club: river pollution game8) David Harrison: bottled water - why it's unnecessary and how to avoid it

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For the last nine years, each Millburn elementary school has taken a turn to host the educational event.