EPA Honors U.S. Virgin Islands Environmental Leaders (VI)
(New York, N.Y.) The U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) today announced that it has honored four
individuals or organizations from the U.S. Virgin Islands with
Environmental Quality Awards for their achievements protecting
public health and the environment. EPA Regional Administrator
Judith Enck was joined by Congresswoman Nydia Velázquez to
present the awards to this year’s recipients at a ceremony at
EPA’s offices in Manhattan.
“These honorees work tirelessly to protect
the environment and to ensure that all of us can look forward to a
cleaner, healthier world,” said Regional Administrator Judith
Enck. “We can all be proud of what they have accomplished and
the example they have set.”
EPA presents Environmental Quality Awards
annually in conjunction with Earth Day to individuals, businesses
and organizations in EPA Region 2, which covers New Jersey, New
York, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and eight
federally-recognized Indian Nations. The awards recognize
significant contributions to improving the environment and public
health in the previous calendar year. For information about the
Environmental Quality Awards in EPA Region 2, visit http://www.epa.gov/region02/eqa/.
Attached is a list of the award
winners.
2011 ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY AWARD
WINNERS
Individual Citizen
Audrey Penn
Audrey Penn is passionate about environmental
education, which she expresses though her role as the program
manager at the Friends of the Virgin Islands National Park. Audrey
produces the program entitled “School Kids in the Park”
(SKIP) as a means introduce youths to environmental issues. In 2010
alone, over 600 students took part in the SKIP program. During the
summer, Ms. Penn works with Student Conservation Association to
recruit high school students from around the world to St. John to
spend a month learning the trades in cross cultural life skills of
the USVI.
Non-Profit Organization, Environmental or
Community Group
St. John’s Recycling
The St. John’s community recycling
initiative started by promoting recycling at one or two dumpster
stations. It eventually expanded across the island when the group
created homemade recycling boxes in response to public desire to
recycle. The organization and its message has grown, paving the way
for government provided recycling containers and a multipart
group-run collection system.
Ridge to Reef Farm
Ridge to Reef Farm (R2R) is an agri-tourism
enterprise that has made great advancements with regard to
sustainable local food production in the USVI. Through its unique
visitor programs, organic farming methods, and open source local
food web market, R2R has a creative approach to community
engagement. R2R welcomes over 4,500 visitors a year to its
completely solar-powered facility and U.S. Department of
Agriculture-certified organic farm for tours and workshops, and
farm-fresh food events. At such events, experienced guides educate
community members about R2R’s food production strategy and
how it helps restore a recovering native ecology.
Gulf of Mexico Foundation
Gulf of Mexico Foundation (GMF) has been working
in habitat conservation, restoration, and protection in the U.S.
Virgin Islands for over five years. As a result, they have restored
more than 700 acres of critical habitat, installed mooring buoys
for vessel protection during storms, implemented best management
practices to reduce sediment runoff into bays, and conducted marine
debris and derelict vessel removal, all with community involvement.
Through their partnerships with local stakeholders, they have
provided training related to grant-writing and project
development.
For more details, visit: http://www.epa.gov/region02/eqa
11-048