Water, Agua, Vatten, Acque, Uisce, Ur, Mvura

Youth Water Leaders Team exploring how irrigation works on a local ranch with the Mt. Sopris Conservation District. photo by Sarah R. Johnson

Youth Water Leaders Team engages with participants at the 2019 Healthy Rivers Youth Water Summit. photo by Andrea Holland

by Isla Bright Brumby Nelson, Waldorf School on the Roaring Fork student​
If you look up the definition of water, this is what will come up:  Water - A colorless, transparent, odorless liquid that forms the seas, lakes, rivers and rain, it is the basis of the fluids of living organisms.  
​
That is a terribly complicated definition for something that is so common in our society. Our water however, is not something to take for granted just because it so easily comes out of our faucets. We need to protect our watershed because it’s not infinite. I used to be worried a lot about our water supply and our world’s future, but participating in the 2019 Healthy Rivers Youth Water Summit, I realized that our future is in good hands – our hands. This does not mean that you dear reader can sit back and watch others solve the world’s problem. You, me and the random person down the street, we all need to work to do our share. 

---

Youth Water Leaders Team learning about the source of Snowmass Village's drinking water while at Ziegler Reservoir. photo by Sarah R. Johnson

There is so much that we can do. If you are a teacher or wish to be one someday, teach your students about these problems.  No matter who you are or what you do, you can do something to help. We can be mindful of what we throw in the trash and how much water we consume. The point is you do not need to be a climate scientist to do something.  Even your awareness helps.  

Water is life and life is water. Water is so important to us all. It is everything. Look around your classroom, office, and hotel room, at your house or wherever you are. Think about how many of the things in it have been touched, grown and were made with water. Everything, right? Yea, that’s pretty amazing. Everything is born from water. Just think about that, leave your computer, phone or iPad and think about that for a moment.

Being a part of the Youth Water Leadership Team has expanded my view about water, particularly where we live. It has given me insight about how much we use, how important it is to our lives and the incredible science behind it. Until now I had no idea how many lawyers are employed simply for the job of defending their area’s water! I had no clue about our local watersheds. I did not know how much work goes into every drop of water at the drinking water plant and what it takes to make the water clean and ready for our community.  Because of this I will discuss this subject more and with more people. I will work tirelessly to reduce my water footprint, and do things politically, such as continuing to go to rallies. And I want to be part of the Youth Water Leadership Team next year!!!!!!!!

And one last thing, you yourself are 70% water.  
​
Isla Bright Brumby Nelson is an 8th grader at the Waldorf School on the Roaring Fork in Carbondale, Colorado.

---