TAVARES — Thousands of Lake County elementary students will be participating next week in a program designed to help them better understand the importance of a healthy environment.

The Lake County Board of County Commissioners proclaimed Monday, Nov. 22, “Lake County Water Day” as about 8,000 third-, fourth- and fifth-grade students will be learning the importance of water and its role in the environment.

“Students in Lake County Schools will gain an understanding of the competitive, interdependent, cyclical nature of living things by celebrating Lake County Water Day,” read the proclamation signed by the Board of the County Commissioners on Oct. 5. According to the proclamation, one-third of Lake County’s 229,000 acres consists of water and wetlands.

The Oklawaha Valley Audubon Society sponsors the program in its second year with the assistance of Lake County Government and the Lake County Water Authority. In its first year, the program focused on wetland education.

In addition to distributing an Audubon Adventures magazine titled, “It’s Only Water…Our Only Water,” to students, the Audubon Society is sponsoring an essay contest and other interactive activities to encourage environmental education. Some of the classroom topics that are expected to be discussed are the water cycle and the need to conserve fresh water.

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Contact information:
Christopher Patton
Communications Coordinator
Office: (352) 343-9609; Cell: (352) 455-0445
cpatton@co.lake.fl.us