Every living thing in life people, plants, and animals depends on water to grow, stay healthy, and survive. Clean water keeps our bodies strong, helps grow the food we eat, and protects our environment. Without it, life as we know it wouldn’t exist. Because we rely so much on water we have to protect our water because water is limited there is not a unlimited supply.

Water isn't just a resources, it's essential for everything we value. This year's day of Action on was on October 15th! 

How will you inspire a new generation to care for our most valuable resource, WATER? 

This year, our students, Bailey Burnett and Talia Bensink, chose to tell that story in a different way, through the eyes of Wave, a native wood turtle, from our own community who needs clean, flowing streams and rivers near woods and meadows. Wave wakes up to a blurry world around her. As she searches for the water that gives life to her habitat, students bring the story home by highlighting the places they know and love, their woods, Lake Erie, and Chautauqua Lake. Their message is simple, but powerful: Protect our water. Protect our future. Water is life.

We are especially proud that NYS AWWA has shared our students’ message on its statewide platform, giving Wave’s journey, and our students’ voices, a reach far beyond our own school community.

Take a moment to watch “Without Water” and see our community through Wave’s eyes.

Click on the Day without Water PSA to watch this year's powerful video. 

2025 Day Without Water PSA

Feel inspired? Send us your powerful Day Without Water Message. We would love to share what motivates you to Protect Our Water. 

Water Warriors

CHQ Kids Care is proud to partner with Everwild Land Trust to help students become real environmental leaders in our community. Together, we are building an interactive watershed model that Everwild Land Trust will use at community events to teach families how water moves across the land and how our everyday actions impact the health of our lakes, streams, and wildlife.

Through this partnership, the Everwild Land Trust also generously donated materials to support two student-led projects designed to protect and celebrate our local waters.

Paint the Lake
Students will raise awareness to our watershed through the creation of Rain Barrels.  They will assemble and paint rain barrels to be used by business in our community.  The artwork on the barrels will help tell the story of why clean water matters and help educate the community on small ways they can help the lake. This project combines art, science, and environmental stewardship, giving students a creative way to advocate for a healthy watershed. 

Adopt-a-Drain
In this hands-on service project, the community will get involved and understand how to care for local storm drains. Many people don’t realize that storm drains flow directly into nearby lakes and streams without being filtered or treated. By “adopting” a drain, the community become guardians of the watershed, helping prevent pollution before it ever reaches the lake. Details about both projects will be coming soon on our events page. 

Through these experiences, CHQ Kids Care students are learning that even small actions can make a big difference. By combining science, creativity, and community service, they are helping protect the waters that make our region so special.

Thank you Everwild Land Trust, because of you our students aren’t just learning about the environment they are actively helping to protect it.

Join students as they explore our watersheds. Learn about Chautauqua Lake and Lake Erie and stay tuned for how students solve our watershed problems.  

Our Ultimate Goal is to inspire and empower the next generation of Changemakers! Students who use science, creativity, and teamwork to protect our waters, care for our community and take action for a better world.

CHQ Kids Care proudly strengthened its partnership with the New York Section American Water Works Association through the One Water Workforce (OWW) initiative at the New York Water Event, showcasing how students can inspire the future of water careers. Our students connected with industry leaders, judged statewide competitions, shared their voices during presentations, and highlighted the importance of protecting and sustaining our water systems. This experience created powerful momentum for future opportunities, proving that when education and industry work together, students can lead the way. 

Click on the image to watch their inspiring opening video. 

Join our host Hadley and Alexis as we learn all about the importance of protecting our water. Each week they will be joined by our 5th Grade students to discuss a new topic helping you to stay curious, stay caring and making a changes Drop by Drop. 

Available Episodes:  

NEW!!! 

Episode 4: Lake Life. Simple ways you can help Chautauqua Lake. 

Episode 3: Water Warriors NYSAWWA New York Water Event  

Listen in and watch this special Water Warriors episode of the Drop by Drop Podcast! CHQ Kids Care interviewed vendors, water professionals, and attendees from this year’s New York Section American Water Works Association Annual Conference and New York Water Event. Hear inspiring conversations about careers in water, new technology, protecting public health, and the teamwork it takes to deliver safe, clean water to our communities every day. 

Episode 2: How water connects us all. Learn and Laugh with some fun facts and water jokes.

Episode 1: Our Lake. Our Life. 

Intro Episode: Who are we and why it matters.

What we do affects everyone in our communities and downstream. As part of the Watershed Warriors Project students completed posters highlighting what the watersheds mean to them. Click on the image to check out the Campaign highlights.