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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 9, 1995
95-147
CONTACT:
Jack Aldridge, Marshall Middle School School (360) 664-2074 Home (360) 705-0626
LuAnn Thompson, Olympia H. School (360) 753-8921; 866-2931
Annie Phillips, Ecology (360) 407- 6408
Mary Getchell, Ecology (360) 407-6157 pager (360)534-8590
ECOLOGY AWARDS MAGIC APPLE GRANTS TO TWO OLYMPIA TEACHERS
OLYMPIA, WA -- This school year, two science teachers -- Jack Aldridge at Marshall Middle School and LuAnn Thompson at Olympia High -- will get extra help for environmental education projects from Magic Apple grants of $750 each from the Washington State Department of Ecology.
Each May, Ecology presents "Magic Apple" grants to nine teachers throughout the state in recognition of outstanding water quality education projects and to support activities in the coming school year. The money is part of a larger environmental education grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
"Teachers can really influence whether a student becomes a steward of our natural resources," said Linda Crerar, Ecology assistant director for the water division. "These educators are teaching stewardship along with their traditional subjects of science, language arts and social studies."
Jack Aldridge plans to use his $750 to buy materials for the new middle school's wetland interpretive trail project. Aldrige's classes will build a boardwalk through the fragile wetlands near the school so students from Hansen Elementary, Marshall Middle School and Capital High can learn firsthand about wetlands, uplands, native plants, stormwater ponds and nonpoint pollution (pollution that comes from sources such as agriculture, stormwater runoff and septic systems) prevention. On Community Wetland Saturday events, students will guide residents on tours of the entire basin, which stretches from Grass Lake to the mouth of Green Cove Creek. The boardwalk will prevent damage to the fragile wetland habitat.
A special dedication ceremony is planned for the wetlands trail on Wednesday.
OLYMPIA
Wednesday, October 11, 1995 4:00-5:00 p.m.
At the Hansen-Marshall Nature Trail site, south of Hansen Elementary School on Road 65
LuAnn Thompson has planned three field trips for her students -- one to Watershed Park to study benthic macroinvertebrates (stream bugs) one to the Deschutes River to learn water chemistry and one to McAllister Springs and to the Lacey Olympia Tumwater Thurston County or LOTT wastewater treatment plant to study the source and the ultimate discharge of public water in Thurston County. The grant will pay for bus transportation and test equipment.
Teachers interested in applying for a "Magic Apple" grant for the 1996-1997 school year should contact Annie Phillips at the Department of Ecology, (360) 407-6408.
Copyright © Washington State Department of Ecology. See http://www.ecy.wa.gov/copyright.html.
