Contributed

The Alabama Nature Center (ANC) in collaboration with the Tallassee City School system recently held the Tallassee Water Festival at the ANC in Millbrook. This one-day event took place on Friday, Sept. 19 with 104 sixth grade students from Southside Middle School.

The program was specifically designed to discuss the water cycle and the importance of clean water, including our personal responsibility for water resources in an educational, fun and engaging atmosphere.

Students were exposed to water through a wide variety of activities such as:

· Creek Hike – The hike in Still Creek sparked a discussion about how humans contribute to the overall health of our waterways, including man’s effects on water quality, erosion and pollution. Students learned that our drinking water is the result of a treatment/filtering process provided by our local water systems. They also saw firsthand what happens to precipitation when it reaches the earth’s surface by tracing water’s journey from its source as a natural spring to its destination in a stream.

· Fishing – Students experienced a type of aquatic recreation by using cane poles to fish in one of the ANC’s ponds. Guides also discussed what other animals and plants live in the pond ecosystem.

· Aquatic Animal Ambassador Presentation – Students had the opportunity to meet several of the ANC’s education animals, including a snake, turtles, alligators, salamanders and frogs.

“Neptune is an enthusiastic supporter of the Tallassee Water Festival. This valuable educational program teaches students how their actions impact the environment around them, including opportunities to learn about the importance of clean water and protecting our water resources,” stated Ashley Brooks Kelser, Human Resources Manager at Neptune Technology Group.

Many thanks to our funding partners: Alabama Power Company, Max Credit Union and Neptune Technology Group.

The Alabama Nature Center, a hands-on outdoor education facility located at Lanark in Millbrook, Alabama, is a joint project of the Alabama Wildlife Federation and benefactors Isabel and Wiley Hill. The Lanark property, State Headquarters for the Alabama Wildlife Federation, contains 350 acres of striking forests, fields, streams, wetlands and ponds that are traversed by five miles of trails and boardwalks.

Alabama Wildlife Federation is the state’s oldest and largest citizens’ conservation organization dedicated to the conservation and wise use of Alabama’s wildlife and related natural resources. To learn more visit www.alabamawildlife.org.