Five Island individuals and groups were honoured for their commitment to the environment as Minister of Fisheries, Aquaculture and Environment Chester Gillan presented the 2001 Prince Edward Island Environmental Awards Monday evening.
"While their contributions are varied, this year's recipients have one thing in common," said Minister Gillan. "Each has made caring for the environment a part of their daily life. And by doing so, they have shown how individual action makes a difference in our Island environment."
Presented annually, the PEI Environmental Awards recognize individuals, businesses, educators and citizen groups who work to preserve and enhance the environment in Prince Edward Island. Awards are presented in five categories.
This year, the following Islanders were honoured at an awards dinner Monday evening:
- Individual Citizen, recognizing exemplary efforts by Island citizens to protect, preserve or enhance the environment: George Webster.
- Business or Government Agency, recognizing organizations that provide services, products or labour that have low environmental impact and act as a model for sustainable economic activity: Spring Valley Farms.
- Citizen Group or Organization, recognizing grassroots groups that make a special commitment to PEI's environment: Trout River Environmental Committee.
- Education, recognizing outstanding environmental efforts by groups or individuals in the areas of academia or public education: Tom Hayward.
- Youth, recognizing individuals under the age of 25 who have made an outstanding contribution to a healthy environment: Bluefield Envirothon Team.
Nominations for the Environmental Awards were received from across the province. A selection committee comprised of members of the Minister's Environmental Advisory Council reviewed the nominations and recommended the five recipients.
Minister Gillan thanked members of the selection committee for taking on the difficult task of selecting just one recipient in each category.
"The calibre of nominations was outstanding. It is encouraging to know that so many Islanders are dedicated to improving our environment," he said.
"I would like to take this opportunity to recognize all this year's nominees for their tremendous efforts and the many other Island citizens who take action each and every day to protect our environment."
PROFILE OF 2001 RECIPIENTS
Individual Citizen:
George Webster of Middleton has designated 174 acres of his land in Maple Plains to be developed as an Agro-Environmental Demonstration Site for education, research and monitoring, environmental enhancement, and sustainable agriculture.
As a working model, the site provides an opportunity for both the farming and non-farming public to learn more about the importance of sustainable agricultural practices, the natural ecosystem and how the two can work together. The Maple Plains site serves as an agro-environmental museum, open to educational institutions, farm organizations and the general public.
Business or Government Agency:
Spring Valley Farms is an excellent example of how progressive agricultural practices and care for the environment can go hand in hand. The farming operation, owned and operated by Blair and Trent Caseley, has demonstrated its commitment to protecting the environment through soil conservation practices such as three year crop rotation, strip cropping, grassed waterways, terracing, riparian buffer zones around waterways and other structural erosion control work.
The Caseleys' commitment to the environment extends beyond the farming operation as Spring Valley Farms is an active partner in a local watershed project aimed at improving the environmental quality of the Southwest River watershed.
Citizen Group or Organization:
Formed in 1993, the Trout River Environmental Committee has taken a proactive approach toward the environmental management of watercourses, Heritage Roads and watersheds. This volunteer community-based organization dedicates itself to improving water and environmental quality and the general ecosystem health of the Trout River and adjoining watersheds.
Education is a critical component to the success of all environmental efforts and to this end this group publishes a newsletter to inform the people of their watershed area of activities and issues in their district.
Education:
Through his exceptional leadership, Tom Hayward has made Central Queens Elementary School an environmentally friendly school. Through his efforts, a Staff Environmental Committee and Student Environment Club were formed. Whether by practicing the three R's of waste management, conserving water, composting, building birdhouses with special needs students, or organizing Earth Day and Arbor Day activities for students, the former Central Queens teacher consistently demonstrated his care and concern for the environment.
This year's award recipient has also served as a model for individual environmental action, often walking, jogging or riding his bike the 10 kilometres to school; and promoting environmental awareness and enhancing protection of the environment in his community.
Youth:
Bluefield High School's Envirothon Team placed first in PEI's first Envirothon competition, competed in the Nova Scotia event, and will represent PEI in the international competition in Biloxi, Mississippi in July of this year. Team members include Tobin Stetson, Adelee Visser, Tyler Vickerson, Erik Van Lunen, and Ellen Oakes and their teacher advisor Darcy Flynn.
Envirothon is an international natural science education program. It focuses on teaching basic natural resource concepts in disciplines such as forestry, soils, wildlife and aquatics. These concepts enable students to understand the complexities and interrelationships of natural ecosystems and in turn solve problems related to our environment. Students are evaluated on their general knowledge and understanding of each subject through a series of field tests.