By Alexandra Anaya, Communications Major, Mentor Jeff Tuttle. In a changing climate, knowing how to conserve and use water effectively is more important than ever. As the Rio Grande runs dry and less water is available, it becomes vital for many who call Albuquerque their home to know how to conserve their water, or they risk leaving much of it wasted. However, many elementary school-age children may lack the opportunity to learn about water and water conservation. Thus, Rio Rally was created as an event to work to teach children about water use in Albuquerque and how water conservation works. Rio Rally is an interactive city-wide scavenger hunt for children who will participate in educational activities in various locations around Albuquerque to collect stickers and compete for an award. That said, an educational event at this large of a scale can be difficult to navigate and may discourage participation. In planning activities, my mentor and I asked, “Will elementary schoolers participate in large scale summer conservation education events?” So, to encourage participation and ease navigation, I created a downloadable Guidebook zine in pamphlet form for participants’ use that will introduce the event, contain hints about the activities, and provide a map to help participants navigate the city. We anticipate that with an interactive object like the Rio Rally Guidebook encouraging participation, events like Rio Rally will help educate elementary schoolers on behaviors that preserve water for everyone, creating a stronger and healthy river.
