Water Conservation Discussion

One of the most important things we talked about recently is celebrating Earth Day.  We have been reading the book One Well: The Story of Water on Earth.  We have been discussing the water cycle and how important it is to protect and take care of our water supply and the earth in general. Part of this lesson includes a little geography, topography, oceanography, health and wellness, gardening and planting, and general weather and climate discussions.

To show the importance of clean and safe drinking water, we ran an "experiment" where a few children had a glass of clean water.  I tainted mine with black paint and then poured it into one child's, then he into the next, and so on, with me mixing in a little of mine with some of theirs.  The result was a murky glass that they were all disgusted by.  They got the point.

This also spurred the discussion on how to preserve our water supply, especially here in San Diego.  We talked about our drought conditions and how it is getting worse.  Water conservation, and the discussion of it, are imperative with our children if we are to continue living here.  I make sure they turn off the tap between washing and soaping and also make sure the water is not on fully.  Teaching them early helps them be aware of a very precious and little resource we are losing fast.

Please find ways to conserve in your homes and to continue to teach and show your child how important it is for us to save water.  Here are some ways in which we incorporate it in my home:

• Water glasses and water from rinsing fruit and veggies are collected and used to water plants and grass.
• Water from the kiddie pool in the summer is used same as above
• Showers and baths are short and use very little water. 
• We turn off the water when shampooing and lathering
• The garden is watered early in the morning or late in the evening, skipping days.
• Yellow mellow (when it's just us at home—not suitable for guests).
• Car washes are infrequent (to none) and only use car washes instead of at home.
• Dishwasher and laundry are run only on FULL loads. We also hang clothes to dry most time of the year and finish it off for 5-7 min at the end.
• We do not buy water bottles, but try to use refillable water
• At school, the children only use the water outside once there is water available.

I love the opening page of the book One Well and would love to share it with you all:

"Imagine for a moment that all the water on Earth came from just one well."

This isn't as strange as it sounds.  All water on Earth is connected, so there is just one source of water- one global well- from which we all draw our water.  Every ocean wave, every lake, stream, and underground river, every raindrop and snowflake, and every bit of ice in glaciers and polar icecaps is part of this global well.

So whether you are turning on a faucet in North America, pulling water from a well in Kenya, or bathing in a river in India, it is all the same water.  And because it is all connected, how we treat the water in the well will affect every species on the planet, including us, now and for years to come.

-Miss Cham, Caterpillar Teacher