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Charlotte Amalie
Friday, March 29, 2024
HomeNewsArchivesTWO ISLAND ENVIRO GROUPS GET $17K FOR EDUCATION PROJECTS

TWO ISLAND ENVIRO GROUPS GET $17K FOR EDUCATION PROJECTS

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has granted approximately $17,000 to two St. Croix organizations for projects that will educate students, parents and teachers
about environmental and human health issues on the island.
The grant winners are the St. Croix Aquarium and Marine Education Center, $5,000, and the St. Croix Environmental Association, $12,014.
"This year’s grant winners have displayed an outstanding commitment to educating residents of the U.S. Virgin Islands about the very real effects the environment can have on their lives," said Jeanne Fox, EPA regional
administrator. "The EPA environmental education program relies on local groups like these to bring home the message that a clean environment means safer and healthier children and adults, and the preservation of the Virgin
Islands’ ecosystems for all to enjoy. We look forward to seeing the results of the groups’ good work."
With its funding, the St. Croix Aquarium and Marine Education Center will train aquarium staff to teach educators, students and the general public about protecting local marine ecosystems. Aquarium staff will learn how to teach visitors how to better understand local environments and how untreated sewage discharges, commercial activity and non-point source pollution impact the island’s coral reefs and other priceless ecosystems.
A video is being produced to facilitate training current and future staff.
The St. Croix Environmental Association will double the number of children its My Environment program reaches. The program emphasizes the special characteristics of and impact of human activity on St. Croix’s land and sea ecosystems, and consists of after-school, Saturday and in-school programs, and an Earth Day EcoBFair.
The over 2,000 youngsters currently participating in My Environment study a Caribbean Sea food web, learn about the importance of mangroves, go on field trips, and do hands-on activities that teach the importance of solid waste reduction, reforestation and community involvement.
The grants, part of the EPA’s environmental education program, are awarded annually to non-profits, educational institutions and local and tribal government agencies that demonstrate the ability to help communities understand and care about what are often complex environmental and human health issues.
The EPA’s New York City office received 139 applications for environmental education grants of less than $25,000 each this year, and awarded 19 grants
including the two in the Virgin Islands.
For information on how to apply for an environmental education grant, contact Teresa Ippolito, EPA Regional Environmental Education Coordinator, at (212) 637-3675.

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