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EPA AWARDS $2.1 MILLION FOR ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION PROJECTS - Rhode Island

Release Date: 10/24/1996
Contact Information: Frank McIntyre, Office of External Programs, (617) 918-1095

BOSTON -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is awarding $2.1 million in grants to states, tribes, schools, universities, and non-profit organizations nationwide for environmental education initiatives.

There are 23 recipients of grants totaling $167,474 in EPA's New England region, including four in Rhode Island. The New England recipients were selected from 153 proposals totaling requested funds of more than $1.6 million. Fourteen proposals seeking $109,542 came from Rhode Island.

"These grants represent our smartest investment in the future," said John P. DeVillars, regional administrator of the EPA-New England. "There is nothing more important we can do than educate people about their role in protecting the environment to ensure future generations will inherit a cleaner world.

"Whether it's focused on the streets of South Boston or the wilderness of Maine, environmental education provides us with the most valuable tool in protecting our natural resources," added DeVillars. "I commend the recipients of these grants for their good work to infuse greater environmental awareness into the lives of New Englanders."

The Rhode Island winners of 1996 Environmental Education grants are:
(Note to editors: A contact for grant recipient is also listed)

Woonasquatucket River Environmental Education Program for Educators and Residents -- The Providence Plan, Providence $5,000
The goal of the Woonasquatucket River Greenway Project is to teach area residents about the benefits of the river and its wildlife habitats and enable them to educate others about the subject. Joined by the Community Outreach Coordinator of the Providence Plan, the RI Audubon Society will work with teachers in elementary and middle schools along the river corridor, train a staff of five from the organization Progresso Latino and adults from communities along the river. The organization will select existing environmental education materials, translate them into Spanish and use them in their trainings. Once trainers have been trained, an ongoing outreach programs to additional area residents will be conducted. (Jane Sherman 401/455-8880)

Water of Our World: Monitoring Ecosystems in Southern New England and Colombia -- Rhode Island Zoological Society, Roger Williams Park Zoo, Providence $4,997
This project expands on an existing one in which teachers and students from Rhode Island and Columbia learn about water quality, perform water quality monitoring, and share information between the two countries involved. This year, seven teachers with nearly 240 6th-10th grade students from Rhode Island and three teachers with 120 students from Columbia will participate in this program by monitoring and working to preserve a river near their respective schools. (Anne Savage 401/785-3510)

Active Watershed Education for the Narrow River and Saugatucket River Watersheds -- Southern Rhode Island Conservation District, Kingston $5,000
The Southern Rhode Island Conservation District will implement the Active Watershed Education (AWEsome!) program in the Narrow River and Saugatucket Watersheds to increase awareness and knowledge about the Narrow River and Saugatucket River watersheds and to provide the future stewards of the these watersheds with the skills needed to make informed decisions about local environmental issues. The program will revise and disseminate existing watershed-specific curriculum guides, train 20 upper elementary and middle school teachers in the uses of this curriculum, and assist teachers and their students in assessing local environmental issues and conducting student-driven, community action projects related to these issues. (Charlotte Spang 401/874-5198)

School Yard Gardens Project -- University of Rhode Island, Cooperative Extension Education Center, Kingston $4,959
The project will provide hands-on training and curriculum materials to enable 20 1st-6th grade teachers to establish and maintain with their students a natural vegetable and herb garden on their school grounds. Project objectives are for children in participating schools to become knowledgeable and skilled in pollution prevention concepts and techniques related to water, soils, and non-polluting alternatives to pesticides and herbicides. (June Kinigstein 401/792-2900)