West Virginia University will take kids on a journey of imagination and exploration in their hometowns as part of a partnership with RiverWorks Discovery.

WVU and RiverWorks Discovery will present programming in nine West Virginia counties that encourages children to understand and care for the rivers that flow through their towns.

WVU’s Environmental Research Center will present programming on the commerce, culture and conservation of West Virginia’s rivers and watersheds in Doddridge, Marion, Monongalia, Preston, Lewis, Taylor, Upshur, Wetzel and Ritchie counties.

“Through curriculum from the RiverWorks Discovery program, children and their families will be reconnected with nature and see waterways in a whole new light,” said Ann Anderson, education specialist with the ERC, which is located in WVU’s Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Design. “The program’s hands-on activities will convey the importance of protecting aquatic environments in order for them to remain thriving ecosystems for future generations.”

RiverWorks Discovery is a national education outreach effort of the National Rivers Hall of Fame, located at the National Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium. EQT Foundation, the charitable arm of EQT Corporation, awarded the museum a $32,218 grant. The museum provided the ERC with a $23,728 sub-grant to implement the RiverWorks program.

Outreach and education programs will target youth, ages 8-16, attending 4-H club events, Boy Scouts of America, Girls Scouts, and summer camps in each county, as well as a hundreds of other community members of all ages through local fairs and festivals.

“One of the primary goals of the program is to encourage children to get involved in their communities to help keep waterways and watersheds clean and thriving,” Anderson said.

Those interested in participating in the watershed education programs should contact Anderson at 304-276-8950, or Ann.Anderson@mail.wvu.edu.

EQT and the EQT Foundation are committed to the social and economic vitality of our operating regions. For the past decade, the EQT Foundation has made a difference by supporting local programs and initiatives that involve education, community and economic development, the arts, and the environment. Together with a variety of non-profit organizations, the EQT Foundation develops strong partnerships that enrich the diversity and viability of our communities, sustain the principles of continuous learning, and focus on environmental protection efforts.

-WVU-

CONTACT: Ann Anderson, WVU Environmental Research Center
304.276.8950, Ann.Anderson@mail.wvu.edu

dw/12/08/14

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