The Stormwater Maui team had an awesome time hanging out with the 5th graders at Waihee Elementary School on April 21 and 22! We brought along our EnviroScape and storm drain models to give the kids a firsthand look at how water travels through our community. The classroom turned into a mini-watershed as the students watched “pollutants” like motor oil, litter, and dirt wash off the land and flow straight through the drainage system.

The kids spent the visit experimenting with the models and discussing different ways to keep those pollutants from reaching the ocean. It was great to see everyone get so hands-on with the equipment while we talked about how storm drains connect our neighborhoods to the sea. We even got to dive into how everyday spots they know—like the local park or their own driveways—fit into the bigger picture of our island’s health.

Whether they were “making it rain” over the model or tracing the path of a storm pipe, the students brought a ton of curiosity to the table. A big mahalo to the teachers and all the 5th graders at Waihee Elementary for your energy and for being such great partners in keeping our island’s water clean!