5th Annual Family Stream Day

Making Creek Connections to Children of All Ages
Loudouners of all ages are invited to learn about their local waters and the habitats they support at the Fifth Annual Family Stream Day.

5th Annual Family Stream Day
October 14, 2006
10am - 3pm
Seneca Ridge Middle School located at 98 Seneca Ridge Drive in Sterling.

Family Stream Day is an interactive, outdoor environmental education event for students – the only event of its kind in Loudoun. It is scheduled each year in October to coincide with World Water Monitoring Day (October 18) and the 34th Anniversary of the Clean Water Act. Loudoun Watershed Watch and its partners are the sponsors and Seneca Ridge Middle School is the host for this event. Admission is free and the event will be held rain or shine.

The day’s attractions include several interactive water learning “stations” located in front of the school and alongside a stream that runs adjacent to the school. Kids and their parents can pick up a Stream Day passbook at the starting point, and then visit all the stations where their participation in a water education activity gets them a stamp in their passbook. When their passbooks are full, they can pick up a prize. Some Loudoun science teachers are giving extra credit for filled passbooks. Check with your teacher.

The stations will showcase all the ways in which Loudoun residents impact our waters, such recognizing
wetland habitats (good) or pouring household hazardous wastes down the kitchen sink (not good).

At 12 pm, prizes will be awarded to the top entries in this year’s Stream Day poster, poem and essay contest, “Creek Connections.” Loudoun Watershed Watch and its partners congratulate Natalie Dufresne, Leesburg Elementary, Jordan Caldwell, Waterford Elementary and Megan Lipski, Belmont Ridge Middle School as the top three winners in their grade level. The contest was open to all Loudoun County Public and Private School students from kindergarten through twelfth grade throughout September.

Other interesting activities include a Fountain Extravaganza exhibition by Seneca Ridge science teacher Jerome Peck at 11:30 am, a reptile rescue station by the Northern Virginia Reptile Rescue and exhibits by Loudoun County Health Department and the EPA. Participants are encouraged to wear proper walking shoes.

Event Background: This annual event has been planned and organized by several County organizations including: Loudoun Watershed Watch, Loudoun County Department of General Services, Loudoun County Sanitation Authority, Loudoun County Department of Building & Development, Loudoun Soil and Water Conservation District, Audubon Naturalist Society, Piedmont Environmental Council, Loudoun County Health Department, Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy, and many more.

Directions: From the West (Leesburg): Take Route 7 East to the traffic signal at Augusta Drive (approximately 11 miles from Route 7 Bypass). Turn Left onto Augusta Drive. Proceed to the second intersection. Turn Right onto Seneca Ridge Drive. Follow the driveway; the school will be on your right.

LWW Background: Formed in 2000, the primary goal of the LWW is to monitor and protect water resources in Loudoun County by raising local students’ and others’ awareness of Loudoun’s water resources and engage them in meaningful, hands-on water science activities. For the last four years, LWW has been working in three areas: compiling and examining existing water quality data; designing a comprehensive surface water monitoring program covering all significant streams in the county; and implementing a public outreach program to raise citizen awareness and involvement in local water quality. LWW hopes its reports and initiatives will encourage citizens and elected officials to take actions that support environmental stewardship that benefits our local waters. For more information, or to find out how you can get involved with Loudoun Watershed Watch, go to www.loudounwatershedwatch.org

Questions about the event may be directed to Samantha Villegas, LCSA, 703-771-1095