More than 700 fourth grade students from Shelby County schools recently participated in the Shelby County Soil and Water Conservation District’s Water Festival at the University of Montevallo.

According to Kim Joiner, district administrative coordinator for the Shelby County Soil and Water Conservation District, students participated in three activities on Friday, Dec. 10 including:

* A water bracelet in which colors of a bracelet represented the water cycle (precipitation, evaporation and condensation).

* An experiment in which students used gummy worms (to represent bedrock), ice cream (to represent sand and clay), chocolate sprinkles (to represent topsoil), rainbow sprinkles (to represent pesticides) and soft drink (to represent water) in an edible aquifer. An aquifer is a water-bearing stratum).

* An experiment called fantastic filtration in which the students pressed water through filters such as cheesecloth and coffee filters.

Joiner said the students visited Harmon Hall and Comer Hall at the University of Montevallo where 18 classes were held for them to learn to protect drinking water.

She said some 80 volunteers also participated including EMA (Emergency Management Agency) Supervisor Don Greene, Shelby County Environmental Services Manager Robert Kelley and Shelby County Commissioner Dan Acker.

Joiner also said students attended the festival from Thompson Intermediate School, Calera Elementary, Elvin Hill Elementary, Cornerstone Christian, Wilsonville Elementary and Hilltop Montessori School