Middle Rio Grande
Children's Water Festival 2003
Program of Activities
Weather or Not
Students analyze meteorological and hydrological data to determine if a
flash flood might occur, issue warnings and monitor the flood event.
National Weather Service
Presented by Deirdre Kann, Phone 505-243-0702, E-mail: deirdre.kann@noaa.gov
Our Cottonwood Forest
Students learn about the Bosque ecosystem of cottonwoods and willows along the Rio Grande.
Bosque School
Presented by Dan Shaw & students, Phone 505-898-6388, E-mail:
dshaw@bosqueschool.org
Water Olympics
Students put water to the test! Though a series of experiments they
demonstrate that water is no ordinary liquid!
Albuquerque Academy Environment Club
Presented by Karen Temple Beamish & Students, Phone 505-858-8873, E-mail:
beamish@aa.edu
Water and Life
Students will examine a wide variety of prehistoric and
historic water related items. They will try to guess what the items are and
what their uses or benefits were. Help or hints, as necessary, will be
provided by the instructors.
City of Albuquerque/Public Works/Water Resources
Presented by Larry Marken & Margie Monarez, Phone 505-768-3603
Meet Water Bugs Up Close
Students will observe and identify live macroinvertebrates commonly
found in local ponds and rivers and learn how biologists determine the
purity of the water by which critters live there.
New Mexico Game & Fish Department
Presented by Colleen Welch, Phone 505-476-8119, E-mail: cewelch@state.nm.us
Edible Aquifer
Students make an aquifer model from edible ingredients and learn about
hydrogeology, pollution and pumping.
Rio Grande High School
Presented by Judy Stewart Vidal & Students, Phone 505-873-0220, E-mail:
vidaljudy@hotmail.com
and
Albuquerque Academy Environment Club
Presented by Karen Temple Beamish & Students, Phone 505-858-8873, E-mail: beamish@aa.edu
Who’s Got the Water?
Students demonstrate that our water must be shared among many users.
They negotiate water sharing agreements when it’s a dry year and discover
what might happen if they cannot agree!
TVI & Jemez Valley High School
Presented by Kristan Cockerill, Anna Gahl & Students, Phone
505-834-7392 x144, E-mail: agahl@mail.jvps.org
From Dry New Mexico to Watery Coral Reef
Students learn how dry New Mexico is connected to watery coral reefs. They will learn about coral reefs - how they are formed, where they are found, who lives there and what kids can do to protect them.
City of Albuquerque/BioPark's Albuquerque Aquarium
Alyson Wallace, Phone 505 -848-7172, E-mail: awallace@cabq.gov
Mission Impossible
The students’ mission, if they choose to accept it, is to rescue
Albuquerque from water shortages that could occur in the next 10 years.
Students play an interactive game and make decisions about how to manage
available water resources.
Sandia National Laboratories / Geohydrology Department
Presented by Vincent Tidwell, Steve Conrad & Dick Thomas, Phone
505-844-6025, E-mail: vctidwe@sandia.gov
Insectopia
Water health can be determined by the particular kinds of aquatic
insects living in it. Do you know if that river, lake or pond is polluted
or pristine (unspoiled)? By identifying the aquatic insects students will
be able to determine water quality.
City of Albuquerque /Open Space Division
Presented by Bonnie Dils, Phone 505-452-5205, E-mail: bdils@cabq.gov
Why the River Runs Brown
Students will learn about watersheds by examining and manipulating
watershed models. They will learn that a watershed is the land area that
drains to a water body such as a river or lake. They will see for
themselves how watersheds can influence water quality.
NM Environment Dept., Surface Water Quality Bureau
Presented by Abe Franklin & Maryann McGraw, Phone 505-827-2793, E-mail:
abraham_franklin@nmenv.state.nm.us
Every Drop Counts
Students will learn how the aquifer was formed by building one of their
own. They will learn about the various uses for water and why it is so
important for everyone to conserve.
Intel Corporation
Presented by Andrew Moen, Phone 505-794-4911, E-mail: andrew.d.moen@intel.com
Drink the Rio Grande!
Students will learn how to build a filter and treat river water to make
it usable in our homes.
City of Albuquerque/Public Works/Water Resources
Presented by Roberta Haynes-Sparks & Donna Martinez, Phone
505-768-3245, E-mail: rhsparks@cabq.gov
Where Did All the Water Go?
Students will observe how the Rio Grande has changed over hundreds of years and predict what will happen to our river in the future.
Rio Grande Nature Center
Presented by Betty Smith & Corinne Howard, Phone 505-344-7240, E-mail:
bettyphotos@msn.com
Water Jeopardy
Students compete to give questions for the water answers (like the TV show).
Highland High School
Presented by Gale Borkenhagen & Students, Phone 505-265-3711 x1048,
E-mail: gborken@swcp.com
Runoff 101
Students learn how precious top soil can run off the land and end up in
the river. They’ll find out what can be done to prevent topsoil loss.
Rio Grande River Rangers
Presented by Paula Morgan and Students, Phone 505-265-2253, E-mail:
thompaula_2000@yahoo.com
Birds, Rivers and the Web of Life
Students will learn that birds and people share river habitats and what it is like to be a bird living along the river.
Valley High School Environmental Club
Presented by Andrew Rominger & Students, Phone 505-243-7355, E-mail:
ecopiranga@cybermesa.com
It’s My Aquifer!
Students learn about the water cycle underground - the aquifer,
groundwater recharge, how contamination can move into groundwater, the
effects of water well pumping in an aquifer, and why it’s so important to
conserve water.
New Mexico Environment Dept. Ground Water Quality Bureau
Presented by Dennis McQuillan, Phone 505-827-0018, E-mail:
dennis_mcquillan@nmenv.state.nm.us
Swimmin’ in the Rio Grande
Students play a game to learn about the perils and challenges in the
life of a Rio Grande Cutthroat Trout, New Mexico’s state fish and a
native.
US Forest Service
Presented by Kavita Krishna, Phone 505-834-2200, E-mail: kavkk@yahoo.com
Is There Water on Zork?
Students arrive on Planet Zork and ask the Zorkians for water. The
Zorkians bring several clear liquids but which one is really water?
Presented by Gale Borkenhagen & Students, Phone 505-265-3711, E-mail:
gborken@swcp.com
Dilution is the Solution
Students learn that the river can become polluted when the water is low and that when more water flows downstream, the pollution level goes down - because of dilution. They do an experiment to see how this really works.
Bernalillo County, Office of Environmental Health
Presented by Lilliana Talamantes, Phone 505-314-0333, E-mail: ltalamante@bernco.gov
The BioPark’s BioVan: Home Sweet Home
Students observe five mini-ecosystems along the Rio Grande, Gulf Coast,
and Atlantic Ocean, and the living organisms that call each one home. The
BioVan exhibits live plants, invertebrates, fish, reptiles, amphibians,
birds and mammals.
City of Albuquerque/BioPark’s Rio Grande Zoo, Albuquerque Aquarium and
Rio Grande Botanic Garden
Presented by Pam Pacheco & Deborah Green, Phone 505-764-6288, E-mail:
ppacheco@cabq.gov
The Rolling River
How does the river work? Students will see a model river and watch the
effects of water as it flows down stream.
Ciudad Soil and Water Conservation District & NM Office of State
Engineer/Water Conservation
Presented by Susan Rich & Cindy Allen, Phone 505-761-5446, E-mail:
susan.rich@nm.usda.gov
Thrifty Plants in a Thirsty Land
Our New Mexico wild landscapes are full of plants that are supremely adapted to our high desert climate. How do these plants survive freezing winters, searing summers, wide temperature swings, high winds, plenty of ultraviolet radiation and very little natural rainfall? Students will discover how roots, leaves and stems play the leading roles in helping plants thrive in our beautiful but challenging environment.
Cooperative Extension Master Gardeners
Presented by Barbara Shapiro, Margo Murdock, Virginia Burris & Katie Babuska, Phone 505-323-5138,
E-mail: Vit.Babuska@veridian.com
Water Wizard Who Knows All There is to Know About H20
City of Albuquerque/Public Works/Water Resources
Presented by Carol Phillips-McClure, Phone 505-982-2468
