John Firehammer told a group of sixth-graders from Coeur d'Alene Charter Academy on Friday morning that everything on Earth depends on water.

"Everything is interconnected and dependent on each other for survival," added Firehammer, a Coeur d'Alene Tribe biologist.

The group of students, members of three different classes, stood attentively while Firehammer then discussed the Tribe's relationship with the native species of cutthroat trout.

This week 455 students from schools across the Northwest participated in the Coeur d'Alene Tribe's Water Awareness Week event on the shores of Lake Creek. The event began in 1995 as a collaboration between the Tribe, Business Professionals of America and representatives from state agencies. At the inaugural event, one sixth-grade class spent two hours doing water-related activities.

"When our partners left shortly after, we kept doing it and it's grown and grown over the years," said Gina Baughn, Coeur d'Alene Tribe natural resources education specialist. "I love this event so much. We're hoping after this experience the kids go home as ambassadors for the Tribe and talk about what they learned today."

Baughn, alongside her colleague Bobbie White, ran the half-day field trip like a well-oiled machine on Friday, with Baughn blowing a whistle to let the sixth-graders know it was time to move to the next of nine stations. Coeur d'Alene Charter Academy split its group of sixth-graders into two groups of three classes, with the first group attending on Thursday.

"It was pretty cool to learn about the history of the Tribe and where everything was placed and located in the past," said Cameron Zaragoza, one of the sixth-graders on the trip.

For Baughn, teaching students the history of the Tribe - everything from where different settlements were located in the past, to the connection members had with the thriving cutthroat trout population - is just as important as teaching them about the current state of water in North Idaho.

"It's really necessary to get that historical aspect across," Baughn said. "That helps the kids understand how much of an impact pollutants getting into the water have had on the environment."

From 9:30 a.m. until 12:30 p.m., the charter academy students walked alongside Lake Creek with their counterparts from Freeman Elementary School in Washington and learned from experts about a wide variety of water-centric topics. The stations included a lesson in hide tanning, a demonstration on how water quality can be affected, a study of cutthroat trout, learning the layers of soil, and a look at various wildlife affected by the waterways in North Idaho.

Sixth-grader Cooper Barnes told The Press that he was enjoying every station. But after giving it some thought, Barnes said handling some insects native to Lake Creek during the micro-invertebrates lecture was his favorite.

"I know a lot about animals, but I've never really known too much about insects before today," said Cooper Barnes, a sixth-grader. "They're really cool, especially the water ones."

Geri Hagler, one of the sixth-grade teachers who chaperoned, told The Press that it's important for her students to get opportunities for hands-on learning because they retain the information better.

"Our students usually write thank you cards and, reading over them, it's amazing that each of the students write about really specific portions of the event," Hagler said. "The Tribe is very gracious to invite us every year and give the kids a quality educational experience during water awareness week."

During the interview with Hagler, Barnes excitedly ran by on his way to the next station and could barely contain his happiness while telling his teacher, "this is the best field trip ever."

"They're always so attentive, it's just wonderful to see," Hagler said with a smile. "I'm always inspired by how much they learn here because I hope these kids will use these lessons to preserve our water for future generations."