A Message From Kim.......

I learned today that we play a major role

when it comes to water pollution.

We just don't realize that we are destroying

the habitat for other creatures.

Almost everything that we do is hurting fish,

plants, all the living things in lakes and rivers.

Today we saw how a fish that was minding his own

fish business saw pollution getting into the lakes and rivers.

He saw his home ruined.

This is how something like that happens.

Weedkiller, just a regular thing that most of us use,

rides piggy-back on dirt that is being eroded

and is washed into the lakes.

Also, whenever we take a shower or wash our clothes or dishes,

soap goes into the rivers and lakes and harms fish and plants.

In winter by putting salt on ice to make it melt,

we turn the water salty as run-off goes into lakes and rivers.

In these three ways, with fertilizer, soap, and salt,

we are ruining the fish's world for him.

He is doing us no harm whatever.

The problem is that we have taken the cleanness

of our water for granted.

We can't do that anymore.

Once the clean water is gone, it is gone.

We should use the trash cans at the beach.

In winter, we should use sand on our sidewalks, not salt.

Instead of using weedkiller on our lawns and gardens,

we should pull and dig up the weeds.

We ordinary people can make simple changes

in our lives that will help to protect the fish's world.

When we keep the water nice for the fish,

it is good for us, too.

The fish cannot live without good water.

Neither can we.

The real fish story is our story, too!

Written in science class after the water cycle demonstration on February 25, 1999.

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