A group of Prince Edward Island citizens were honoured for their outstanding contribution to protecting and enhancing the environment as the 2006 Prince Edward Island Environmental Awards were presented Wednesday evening.
Part of Environment Week celebrations, the awards were presented by Minister of Environment, Energy and Forestry Jamie Ballem during a special ceremony at Government House, hosted by Lieutenant Governor Léonce Bernard. Minister Ballem said the theme for this year's Environment Week, Taking Action for Our Environment, certainly describes this year's Environmental Award recipients.
“While their contributions are varied, these Islanders are not only doing their part to protect our environment, they are spreading their message to others in their communities. Through their words and the example they set, they are encouraging others to take action for our environment. They are truly making a difference and I want to thank them all for their efforts,” he added.
Following are this year's recipients.
Ruth Sturz:
Ruth Sturz has been the driving force behind a long-term plan to beautify the West Royalty Elementary School property through the planting of native trees and shrubs. Ms. Sturz has involved the entire school community, organizing planting parties each spring and fall for every class. Over the years, she has spent countless hours soliciting funding, materials and equipment, and professional expertise, to bring the West Royalty plan to fruition – not to mention the time she has devoted as chief labourer for the project. In her letter of support for the nomination, retired principal Barbara Foster noted that Ms. Sturz instilled, in a quiet manner, the importance of taking care of our environment. “That to me, is what is so important about what Ruth Sturz did for West Royalty School community. Her actions, I'm sure, impacted children's thinking and that lasts a lifetime,” she said.
PEI Model Forest Network Partnership:
The Prince Edward Island Model Forest Network Partnership includes industry members, landowners, environmentalists, academics, tourist operators and individual Islanders with an interest in public and private forests. These people have come together to create a forum where those with differing forest interests and values can work co-operatively to encourage and support research and education initiatives which promote forest stewardship across the Island. The Partnership has provided funding support for a wide range of projects including workshops on topics such as the benefits of community forests, basic research such as forest plant surveys, and school visits to Macphail Woods Ecological Forestry Project. However, its success in developing a new, positive working relationship among the many partners is cited as the Partnership’s greatest overall accomplishment.
Souris and Area Branch, PEI Wildlife Federation:
Active in environmental enhancement efforts in Eastern Kings since 1954, the Souris and Area Branch of the PEI Wildlife Federation has been instrumental in bringing watershed planning to the Souris River. Recognizing that this is the most effective way to address water quality problems, the Branch secured funding from the Canada/PEI National Water Program to develop a watershed management plan for the river. Community involvement is the key to success in watershed planning and the Souris Area Branch has been very successful in getting the entire watershed community involved in the process. To date, a subcommittee has been formed to oversee the development of the plan; an assessment of the river was carried out; a series of public presentations were held to educate people about the issues that challenge the river; and community members have developed a vision statement, goals, objectives and strategies.
Bluefield High School Student Council:
This past school year, the Bluefield High School Student Council received one of 13 national grants to carry out a project to reduce greenhouse gas emissions which contribute to climate change. Called Youth Reduce: Control Our Consumption, the project took the form of a home room challenge. The students filled out an emissions-slashing checklist, deciding on which actions they felt they could take to reduce emissions. Reductions were tracked and the class with the highest average emission reduction won a pizza party and an ice cream cake. Student council members then gave presentations to various community groups, Eco-Net PEI, and the City of Charlottetown’s Environmental Committee, telling them about Bluefield’s experience and the importance of caring for our environment.
Nominations for the Environmental Awards were received from across the province. A selection committee comprised of members of the Minister's Environmental Advisory Council had the difficult task of reviewing the nominations and recommending the recipients. Minister Ballem thanked the selection committee and all Islanders who took the time to recognize the efforts of their friends and neighbours by submitting a nomination.