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EPA Supports Environmenetal Education Project in the U.S. Virgin Islands

Release Date: 08/26/1998
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(#98112) St. Thomas, Virgin Islands -- An environmental education project lead by the Virgin Islands Conservation Society in the U.S. Virgin Islands has received a $8,940 grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Agency announced today. Each year, EPA awards grants to non-profit organizations, educational institutions and local and tribal government agencies for educational projects designed to build greater understanding of the environment and concern about the impacts of pollution.

The Virgin Islands Conservation Society, Inc. will use its grant to educate urban youth with limited access to environmental education. The Conservation Society will provide about 60 seventh-grade students an opportunity to learn about and experience their natural environment by encouraging their interest in environmental careers and providing first-hand experience with habitats and ecosystems currently threatened by the impact of human activity. The project emphasizes the role such habitats play in a healthy environment by teaching basic ecology concepts and familiarizing students with environmental issues relevant to the Virgin Islands.

"This project is an investment in the future of the Virgin Islands because it will foster an understanding of and an appreciation for the beautiful and unique ecology of the Islands," said Jeanne M. Fox, EPA Regional Administrator. "EPA's funding encourages the development of effective environmental education at the grassroots level."

The annual grants are authorized under the National Environmental Education Act, which is currently up for re-authorization. EPA Region 2, which covers New York, New Jersey, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, received 104 applications requesting a total of $1.34 million in funding. The available $200,000 was distributed to 24 recipients from across EPA Region 2. For information on how to apply for an Environmental Education grant in EPA Region 2, contact Teresa Ippolito, EPA Region 2 Environmental Education Coordinator, at 212-637-3675.

For more information contact:
Mary Mears, Press Office
EPA Region 2
290 Broadway
NY, NY 10007-1866
Voice: 212-637-3669 FAX: 212-637-5046 E-Mail: mears.mary@epamail.epa.gov