Tuesday, October 06, 2009
Water authority gets education award
Have you heard?
JoAnne Poindexter
'Have you heard?'
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The Western Virginia Water Authority has been named recipient of the 2009 Water Environment Federation Public Education Award.
Staffers Sarah Baumgardner, the authority's environmental communications coordinator, and Robin Bailey, its education assistant, will accept the award Oct. 13 during a conference in Orlando, Fla.
The two have helped the authority provide free presentations and field trips to Roanoke Valley students and residents, educating them on water conservation, watersheds and water quality protection.
In a news release announcing the award, the authority said it "believes that our efforts to educate students and the public on water quality issues and the need to protect our environment are critical for our business and our community today and in the future."
The public education award is one of three that the Water Environment Federation presents annually. The other two awards recognize an academic group or individual and a community or business organization.
Part of the mission of the Western Virginia Water Authority is to strengthen the commitment to water education and to enhance the quality of life in the region by protecting natural resources though education and conservation, Baumgardner said.
She said the authority sees an annual increase in participation of its educational programs.
The authority already is booked to work with more than 4,000 students this school year during in-class presentations and tours. Hundreds of others from community, business and civic groups also will be included in workshops, lectures and environmental events.
The authority also sponsors tours of its facilities, including Spring Hollow Reservoir and Carvins Cove Natural Reserve, which includes the Carvins Cove reservoir.
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Paige Baumann, a graduate of Cave Spring High School; Vannessa Chapman, a graduate of Northside High School; Brandi Compton, a graduate of William Byrd High School; and Christopher Richards, a graduate of Jefferson Forest High School, are among the 26 Virginians who started college with scholarships from the Burger King Scholars Program.
The Have It Your Way Foundation awarded $1,000 scholarships in recognition of academic achievements, financial need and community involvement. Recipients also must have worked for the company for at least one year.
High school seniors can apply for 2010 scholarships at www.haveityour wayfoundation.org.
