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March /April 2009 Newsletter

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Special Features

Funding and Award Deadlines
Upcoming Events
Partner Updates and Resources
Your Virginia

Litter Picks
Assorted Items of Professional Interest
Helpful Resources

 

Special Features

2009 Virginia EE Conference
The Virginia Office of Environmental Education is partnering with the Hampton Roads Alliance for Environmental Education for the 2009 Environmental Education Conference. Please save the dates of September 9 – 11, 2009.

 

Communicating with the media – Expanding Beyond Traditional News (Part I):
  1. Newspapers are one of many ways to reach some target audiences with your messages about program progress, volunteer opportunities, reports, litter hot spots, etc. Recent studies show that news consumption online is increasing and that people, primarily generation Y/millennials, are increasingly choosing online media such as YouTube over traditional news such as CNN. What does that mean for folks like you who want to reach their audiences? It means use the tools that your audience is using. Consider adding online tools to your toolbox of communication options, which are usually free and are certainly growing in popularity.
  2. Periodic or even routine news releases don’t mean more stories in the newspaper. It’s more likely for news releases to be viewed as not news if they’re sent to meet an organization or company’s quota or annual schedule. A better option is to write and disseminate a news release only when you’ve got something newsworthy to report. A topic is typically newsworthy if it falls under these categories:
    • The story is timely. It’s happening now like a chemical spill in a local stream.
    • The story is about something that is new. For example, maybe a local government is starting for the first time to compost food waste from its municipal cafeterias.
    • The story impacts a problem or a solution that affects a lot of people. For example, the local air quality monitoring results show harmful levels of particulate matter in (town).
    • The story is about a currently popular topic. For example, plastic bag litter is a big topic in the media right now, so if you’re starting a new project that dovetails off this, it may get covered locally.
Courtesy of DEQ Public Affairs Office.

 

Earth Day Resources
The 38th annual observance of "Earth Day," a celebration to raise awareness of the Earth and its resources, is April 22, 2009. Visit www.vanaturally.com/earthday.html for local Earth Day events and activities across Virginia along with educational resources.

  • Revive Community Challenge – Projects needed by April 6
    Environmental Fair and Revive Community Challenge - Chesterfield County is combining their annual environmental fair with John Tyler Community College's "Fool for Art" into an exciting event blending arts and sciences in honor of "Earth Day." Individuals and groups are invited to submit items for a silent auction that are at least 75% recycled, renewed, reused or repurposed materials. The deadline for projects to be delivered for display is April 6. For more information contact Pamela Cooper, Anti-Litter Program Manager, at cooperp@chesterfield.gov or (804)751-2227.

  • Earth Day Celebration at Douthat State Park – Volunteers needed on April 24
    Citizens are invited to attend the Earth Day Celebration at Douthat State Park. Beth Hawse, Chief Ranger of Interpretation and Education is also looking for presenters from various volunteer organizations, conservation agencies and private businesses throughout the state. The deadline to register is Friday, April 10, 2009. Contact Ms. Hawse at beth.hawse@dcr.virginia.gov or (540) 862-8100.

  • Additional Earth Day Community Events
    Visit www.vanaturally.com/volunteer.html, and www.cvwma.com for additional listing of events.

Funding and Awards Deadlines

Leadership in Environmental Conflict Resolution Award
The Gerald P. McCarthy Award for Leadership in Environmental Conflict Resolution is accepting nominations through March 20, 2009. This is an annual award that is given to a Virginian who has worked to preserve and protect the environment in the Commonwealth. A nomination form and additional information can be downloaded by going to: http://www.virginia.edu/ien/mccarthyaward.htm For additional questions, contact Christine Gyovai at (434) 982-6464 or christineg@virginia.edu
 
Captain Planet Foundation
Deadline is March 31
Captain Planet Foundation grants must: Promote understanding of environmental issues; Focus on hands-on involvement; Involve children and young adults 6-18 (elementary through high school); Promote interaction and cooperation within the group; Help young people develop planning and problem solving skills; Include adult supervision; and Commit to follow-up communication with the Foundation (specific requirements are explained once the grant has been awarded). Go to: http://www.captainplanetfdn.org/grants.html
 
The Virginia Water Environment Association 
Deadline April 15
High School students are invited to submit their water research papers on-line for the U.S. Stockholm Junior Water Prize. For more information about the contest, visit the Water Environment Federation webpage at: http://www.wef.org/AboutWater/ForStudents/SJWP/EligibilityEntry.htm. Research papers should be submitted to: Nina Andgren, nina.andgren@uosa.org.
 
ING Unsung Heroes Awards
Deadline to apply is April 30
Teachers of K-12 students who are looking to do innovative classroom projects may be interested in this program. Go to: http://www.ing-usa.com/us/aboutING/CorporateCitizenship/Education/INGUnsungHeroes/index.htm
 
Design a Sustainable Classroom 
Deadline is May 1
The Open Architecture Challenge invites anyone who is interested in designing a sustainable classroom to participate in this contest. For more information, go to: http://www.openarchitecturenetwork.org/competitions/challenge/2009
 
Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grants
Cities and Counties are invited to apply for competitive grant funding for the purpose of reducing fossil fuel emissions, decrease overall energy consumption, and improve energy efficiency in transportation and building. For more information, go to:
 
Jenny’s Heroes Community Grant Program
There is no deadline. Talk show host Jenny Jones will donate up to $25,000 for each project that will promise long-term benefits to the community. Go to: http://www.jennysheroes.com/

Upcoming Events

Virginia Water Monitoring Council Conference – Dynamic Tools for Watershed Protection
Friday, March 20, 200910 a.m. – 3:30 p.m., HenricoCountyTrainingCenter
The VWMC is targeting employees of local and county governments and other people who are interested in preserving the quality of water resources. Go to www.vwrrc.vt.edu/vwmc/ or contact Katie Register, Executive Director, Clean Virginia Waterways at registerkm@longwood.edu or (434) 395-2602.
 
Statewide Campaign: Plan now to participate in Stewardship Virginia
April 1- May 31
Stewardship Virginia is a statewide initiative held twice annually to help citizens with projects that enhance and conserve Virginia’s natural and cultural resources. Its focus is on projects that enhance water quality, control invasive species, improve recreational resources, preserve historic and cultural resources, preserve natural heritage resources, educate people about recreational, historical, cultural, wildlife and water resourcesand improve wildlife habitat. Get involved! Register a project today! Visit www.dcr.virginia.gov/stewardship or contact Bonnie Phillips at 804-786-5056.
 
Wilderness First Aid Training
April 4 – 5, 2009 (Alexandria)
April 18 – 19, 2009 (Virginia Beach)
April 25 – 26, 2009 (Richmond)
Wilderness First Aid training is a two-day eight our class that trains attendees what to do in life-threatening situations in the wilderness. For more information go to: http://wfa.net/index.shtml
 
National Environmental Education Week is April 12 – 18, 2009
Register to be a national environmental education partner. The 2009 Virginia theme for EE weeks is Be Water Wise! Registered partners will have access to a wide variety of environmental education resources to engage K-12 students in learning more about the environment. For more information go to: http://www.eeweek.org/register.htm
 
PLT Workshop at the Science Museum of Western Virginia 
April 18, 2009
This workshop will be held at One Market Square in Roanoke. Contact Jeanette (Jet) Lawler at (540) 857-4387 or jlawler@smwv.org
Earth Day@Loudoun 2009 – April 26
The Broadlands Wildlife Habitat Committee is organizing the first annual EarthDay@Loudoun event. For more information go to http://www.broadlandshoa.org/node/119 or contact Oya Simpson at (703) 725-8040 or oya.simpson@gmail.com
 
No Child Left Inside: Restoring Nature to Early Childhood
April 28-29
$25 includes lunch; pre-registration is required
Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden is celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2009 with a rich variety of programs and events made possible by a generous grant from the Robins Foundation. This special symposium is offered as part of this celebration and is for everyone concerned about the healthy development of today’s children. This is a great opportunity for educators, as teachers can earn up to 5 CEUs by attending both days. http://www.lewisginter.org/events/event_detail.php?event_id=180
 

Virginia Beach Earth Day – May 3
Check out their website by going to: http://www.earthdayvb.com/Home_Page.php

 

Virginia Recycling Association Conference 

Lynchburg May 5 – 6
The deadline for early bird registration is April 6, 2009. A tentative agenda has been posted. For more information, go to: http://vrarecycles.org.dnnmax.com/Conference/tabid/58/Default.aspx or contact Erica Trout at vra@vrarecycles.org. or (804) 302-4231.
 
Basic Geospatial Applications for Educators 
May 29, 2009
This workshop will be held at WHRO Studios in Norfolk from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. Educators will learn how to use the most recent geospatial classroom technology. For more information, contact Nick Koltun at nkoltun@odu.edu or (757) 755-5210.
 
PLT Advanced Workshop at Holiday Lake Forestry Camp 
June 15, 2009
This is for PreK-12 educators. Holiday Lake Forestry Camp provides an in-the-woods residential camp experience for about eighty 13 – 16 year olds. PLT seeks camper nominations from teachers who have students interested in natural resources careers. Six teachers are also accepted per year into the residential camp program for professional development. Contact Lisa Deaton at (804) 328-3031 or lisa.deaton@dof.virginia.gov or visit the website at http://www.dof.virginia.gov/edu/camp.shtml

Great American Backyard Campout!
Start planning for the Great American Campout and join the National Wildlife Federation (NFW) for this event. The official date is Saturday, June 27, 2009. For more information go to: http://www.nwf.org/backyardcampout/index.cfm
 
National Wildlife Annual Photo Contest 
Deadline July 20, 2009
The National Wildlife Federation is accepting photographs for the annual contest. The three divisions for entry are professional, amateur and youth. There are seven categories of pictures they are being accepted. They include: mammals, birds, other wildlife, backyard habitats, connecting people and nature, landscapes and plant life, and global warming and wildlife. For details go to www.nwf.org/photozone
  

Partner Updates and Resources

Welcome New Partners

Welcome New Partners from the Greater Shenandoah Valley EE Alliance
Users can enter savings in emissions, electricity consumption, gallons of gasoline, or number of vehicles into the calculator and determine up to 13 different ways to express the magnitude of the savings. The calculator uses the latest emission factors, approaches and statistics available through 2007. www.epa.gov/cleanenergy/energy-resources/calculator.html

Your Virginia

New Wetlands Exhibit at the Virginia Zoo
The Virginia Zoo recently opened a wetlands exhibit to teach people about healthy habitats for native wildlife in wetlands. This site will be used to educate visitors about the purposes of wetlands and why they are an important part of the ecosystem. For more information, contact Mark Schneider, Zoo Horticulturalist, at (757) 441-2374, ext. 249.
 
Outstanding Service Award for Natural Resource Conservation
Jane Corson-Lassiter of the U.S. Department of Agriculture service center in Accomack was honored with an outstanding service award from the Association of Virginia Potato and Vegetable Growers for her work. Her office provides environmental education by working with farmers on best-management practices and helps to develop nutrient-management plans. Her work has also included helping to preserve the tidal waters and encouraging wildlife conservation.
White Nose Syndrome (WNS) in Virginia Bats – Voluntary Moratorium Requested for Cavers
The Virginia Cave Board and Natural Heritage Karst Program are requesting a voluntary moratorium on underground caving activity in Virginia until April 15, 2009 while scientists from the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries and the Department of Conservation and Recreation study the bats and how to slow the spread of WNS. Input from cavers is being sought. People may contact Carol Zokaites at Carol.Zokaites@dcr.virginia.gov For more information about WNS, go to http://www.caves.org/grotto/dcg/white-nose.html
 
Virginia Natural Resource Agency News
For the latest information about VA’s seven natural resource agencies visit http://www.naturalresources.virginia.gov/  and click on the agency link you need.

Litter Picks

Keep America Beautiful’s Annual Great American Cleanup
The Great American Cleanup is March 1 – May 31, 2009. There are presently 15 Virginia KAB affiliates. The are: City of Chesapeake, Clean Community Committee of Gloucester County, Hampton Clean City Commission, Hopewell Clean City Commission, Keep Buchanan County Beautiful, Keep Norfolk Beautiful, Keep Petersburg Beautiful Committee, Keep Suffolk Beautiful, Keep Southwest Virginia Beautiful, Keep Virginia Beautiful, Keep Wise County Beautiful, Newport News Public Works Recycling, Portsmouth Beautification and Clean Community Commission, Prince William Clean Community Council, and Richmond Clean City Commission. For more information about Keep America Beautiful, visit the website at: http://www.kab.org/
 
Rappahannock County Cleanup Invites  Rappnetters to be Part of the Solution
Hunt Harris, the Rappnet co-creator and clean up coordinator for Rappahannock County sent an invitation to the rappnet list subscribers to “walk the talk” by taking a break from their various Rappnet rantings and help make a statement through actions rather than words. His invitation invites people to become involved in litter cleanups through April as part of the annual clean up for Rappahannock County. For more information, contact Hunt Harris at huntoldragon@earthlink.net or 540-987-8888.
 
Rockbridge Area Community Cleanup
March 28, 2009
The Rockbridge Area Conservation Council (RACC) is partnering with Rockbridge County Officials and personnel at the Virginia Department of Transportation to host a community cleanup day. Citizens can go to the Rockbridge Regional Library to see a map that shows areas targeted for cleanups. Individuals or groups may select the areas that they wish to clean and this will be added to the map. For more information about the cleanup, contact the RACC at (540) 463-2330 or email racc@rockbridge.net
 
Adopt-a-Stream at Bull Run 
ArlingtonFairfax Chapter of the Izaak Walton League of America will be held on May 3 from 9:30 a.m. –12:00 p.m.
For more information, visit the website: http://waterquality.awardspace.com or email fairfaxwatershed@yahoo.com or call (703) 200-3994.
 
21st Potomac River Watershed Cleanup is scheduled for April 4, 2009
To register on-line to host a cleanup, go to www.potomaccleanup.org or call (301) 292-5665. As of March 4, 2009, The City of Alexandria, and the Counties of Arlington, Fairfax, King George, Prince William and Loudoun have registered 74 waterway cleanups as part of this effort. 
 
Potomac Watershed Shoreline Cleanup of MasonNeckState Park 
April 4, 2009 from 9:00 am – 12:00 pm
For more information, visit the website: http://waterquality.awardspace.com or email fairfaxwatershed@yahoo.com or call (703) 200-3994.
 
Clean the Bay Day - MasonNeckState Park 
June 7, 2009 from 9:30 am – 1:00 pm 
For more information, visit the website: http://waterquality.awardspace.com or email fairfaxwatershed@yahoo.com or call (703) 200-3994.
 
Annual Cover Your Load Campaign in Chesterfield County
The annual Secure Your Load Campaign in Chesterfield was hosted by Pamela Cooper, Chesterfield's Anti-Litter Program Manager. A Chesterfield Sheriff Deputy was at each Convenience Center to educate the citizens on the importance of securing their loads and keeping Chesterfield clean. The citizens were also reminded of the proper way to cover the loads to prevent litter along the highway. Citizens received a copy of The Code of Virginia 33.1-346 and an automobile visor clip that reminds them to secure their load before entering the highways. Ms. Cooper reports that she has observed after the annual event, that more citizens entering the convenience centers had their load properly secured. For more information, contact Pamela Cooper at cooperp@chesterfield.gov or (804) 751-2227.
 
Litter Ordinance
Keep Southwest Virginia Beautiful wrote a comprehensive litter ordinance that has been adopted by Buchanan County. If your government has a litter ordinance, please email it to me at smbarnett@deq.virginia.gov as I would like to post it on the litter web page for other governments to use as a model. To see the litter ordinance, go to: http://www.deq.virginia.gov/recycle/lprevention.html For additional information about the litter ordinance, contact Ms. Carol Doss at uppertnriver@yahoo.com or (276) 628-1600.
 
Watermen Cleaning Debris out of the Chesapeake Bay
58 watermen are part of a work program to collect debris in the Chesapeake Bay using sonar units to locate the undesirable items. They have pulled up more than 3,100 crab pots, nearly 300 peeler pots, and an assortment of eel pots, fishing nets, and other discarded metal items. The Virginia Marine Resources Commission implemented the cleanup program for the wintertime to stop winter crab dredging and give the crabs a chance to reproduce and repopulate the bay. The debris cleanup program is expected to continue through 2011. For more information, contact the Virginia Marine Resources Commission: http://www.mrc.state.va.us/index.shtm
 
Congratulations to the Keep America Beautiful Award Winners

Keep America Beautiful (KAB) has posted their national awards. Congratulations to the City of Chesapeake for their litter awareness and public education program. The Kentuck Elementary School Litter program of Ringold was also recognized by KAB. For a complete list of KAB awards for 2008 go to: http://www.kab.org/site/PageServer?pagename=2008_Nat_Award_Winners

Integrated Curriculum in North Carolina Includes a Study of Landfills
The Camden School in North Carolina recently received a $40,000 grant award from the International Society for Technology in Education and Hewlett Packard for their proposed “Talking Trash” project. Students from social studies, math, English and science classes will study the progression of different landfills and will debate about whether or not a landfill should be built in Camden County. One of the landfills to be studied includes Mount Trashmore in Virginia Beach.

Hampton Roads Clean Regional Conference – Are Plastic Bags Sacking the Environment?
The Hampton Roads Clean Regional Conference was held on Friday February 27th in Smithfield.  The topic was "Are Plastic Bags Sacking the Environment?" 

The first presentation was titled; "Land & Water: Plastic Bags Impact in Virginia." Christina Trapani, Virginia Aquarium Stranding Team showed pictures of live and dead animals that have washed up on the beaches of Virginia.  Her mission is to rehabilitate animals that have been harmed by litter and educate the public about the hazards that litter poses to aquatic animals.  When animals eat plastic, it harms not only the animal that ingested it, but the toxics from the plastics have been found to have an adverse effect on the animal's eggs before the babies are born.
 
Dave Jasinski of Be the Bay estimated that between 1 - 3% of plastic bags go astray every year.  He estimated that there are approximately 120 million plastic bags in the Chesapeake Bay which would be enough plastic bags to wrap around the earth 1.5 times.
 
Nathan O'Berry, Virginia Cooperative Extension, Isle of Wight County, discussed the problems that plastic bags pose for the farmers.  Fifty-five percent of the contamination in cotton comes from plastic.  Plastic contaminates the cotton; gets tangled around the equipment; and is ingested by livestock. 
 
John Duel, Keep Norfolk Beautiful; Rachel Chieppa, Isle of Wight; Margaret Ballard, Retail Alliance; Donna Dempsey, Progressive Bag Alliance; and Amanda Harrington, TREX Company discussed the efforts that this team has made to come up with a solution to the problems faced with plastic bags litter.  The Counties of Isle of Wight, Henry and the City of Alexandria have asked the Senate for funding to implement pilot programs in their regions to manage plastic bags. 
 
For more information about the conference or the speakers, please contact the Hampton Roads Clean Commission at hccc@hampton.gov or (757) 727-1130.

Assorted Items of Professional Interest

4th Annual Stream Cleaner Environment Forum
This is a free, curriculum based internet activity available 24/7 to high school classes throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Students investigate the Chesapeake Bay restoration effort, a regional issue relevant to their lives. They engage their peers across the internet and role play as stakeholders, problem solvers, and consensus builders to formulate solutions. The SCE Forum is open to 9th – 12 grade classes. The lessons are available on line now and the dialogue runs from March 9th – April 10th. Go to www.cacaponinstitute.org/high.htm or call Frank Rodgers, Education and Outreach Director, Cacapon Institute at (304) 856-1385 or frodgers@cacaponinstitute.org
 
Environment Virginia Conference
The 20th Annual Environment Virginia Conference will be held March 31 – April 2, 2009 at the Virginia Military Institute in Lexington, Virginia. Go to www.environmentva.org
 
Adapting to Change – The Winter 2009 Installment
Visit the North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE) website to read their articles about adapting to change. Go to: http://www.naaee.org/programs-and-initiatives/diversity/cultural-diversity-eetap
 
Reviewers Needed for Conference Proposals
The North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE) is seeking volunteers to review conference proposals.  The conference will be held in Portland, OR October 7 – 10, 2009. Go to: http://www.naaee.org/conference
 
Professional development opportunities
For a current list of spring and summer professional development opportunities for educators, visit www.vanaturally.com/summer.html


Helpful resources

Facing the Future
Check out www.facingthefuture.org This site offers lesson plans to teach environmental concepts to children starting in kindergarten. This site also lists professional development opportunities and conferences.
 
Free Earth Science/Sustainability Resources from PBS Kids
The PBS Kids website recently added two new resources that are available for free to the public.
  • The Greens Activity Guide is aimed at 9 – 12 year olds to help them explore the concepts of sustainability through introducing topics such as recycling, what they can do to slow global warming, and reduce junk mail. Go to: http://meetthegreens.pbskids.org/features 
  • Curious George offers earth science activities for preK-2 children to help them make their own discoveries about recycling, wind, water drops, and the properties of soil and sand. Go to: http://pbskids.org/curiousgeorge/parentsteachers/activities
 

 

 

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