For the Love of Whales, Teacher Awarded The Buddy
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Krista Gordon (first row, center) and members of the 5th-grade class from Alderwood Elementary (WA) with Grace Lee, NPT executive director (third row, right).
We all know about the Oscars, the Emmys, the Tonys and the Grammys. Did you know that The Buddy is our National Teacher Award for Outstanding Environmental Stewardship? Earlier this month, Grace Lee, NPT executive director, surprised Krista Gordon at Alderwood Elementary School in Bellingham, WA with The Buddy at an all-school assembly. Krista, a substitute teacher, found inspiration while whale watching off the shore of San Juan Island and wanted to share this experience with students in her community. Two years ago she helped her Alderwood Elementary students apply for the Kids to Parks Day National School Contest. They won and used the funds to visit Lime Kiln Point State Park.
Our contest inspired Krista to raise funds locally and also re-enter the contest for a second year. With the money she raised last year including a contest grant, 10 of the 14 schools in her district were able to visit Lime Kiln Point State Park to see whales and learn about their environment.
Krista believes that the experience of visiting Lime Kiln Point -- taking the ferry, exploring the rocky seashore, meeting with scientists, and whale-watching from shore impacts each child differently, stating, “My job is to plant the seed of experience. Each student decides how those seeds will grow. All come away understanding their actions have an impact though and that simple things like picking up trash make a difference." She added, “Students took pride and ownership of their experience because they earned their trip by preparing their contest entry. Receiving the grant let them know others felt their experience was valuable too.”
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400 Acres Added to Yosemite National Park
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Ackerson Meadow at Yosemite National Park and Stanislaus National Forest.
You may recall reading about NPT’s partnership with The Trust for Public Land to acquire Ackerson Meadow at Yosemite, a 400-acre parcel of privately owned land at risk. The property is surrounded by Yosemite National Park and Stanislaus National Forest and is just minutes from the national park's Big Oak Flat entrance. Great news! The acquisition has been completed and the Yosemite boundary has been extended. TPL raised the funds for the transaction while NPT provided funding for the due diligence steps for the land acquisition. The next step is for the National Park Service to carry out their due diligence steps in order to take possession and officially add the acreage to the national park.
The meadow habitat is unique to the higher elevations in the Sierra Nevada, and protects an abundance of wildlife species. Ackerson Creek travels through the property for nearly one mile before converging with the Wild and Scenic South Fork of the Tuolumne River. The meadow's key location and beauty had attracted the attention of developers but now it will be open for all to enjoy an enhanced park experience.
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3 National Monuments Designated in California
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Mojave Trails National Monument includes 400,000 acres of congressionally-designated wilderness spanning 1.6 million acres.
Nearly 1.8 million acres of land in the California desert have now been designated by President Obama as national monument linking already protected lands, including Joshua Tree National Park, Mojave National Preserve, and fifteen congressionally-designated wilderness areas. Wildlife, natural resources, and cultural and historic sites within Sand to Snow National Monument, Mojave Trails National Monument, and Castle Mountains National Monument will now be permanently protected for future generations.
“The California desert is a cherished and irreplaceable resource for the people of southern California,” said Secretary of the Interior, Sally Jewell. “It is an oasis of nature’s quiet beauty just outside two of our nation’s largest metropolitan areas. Its historic and cultural resources tell the stories of armies, travelers, ranchers, and miners, and of the original caretakers of this land. [The] designation by the President furthers the longstanding work of public land managers and local communities to ensure these areas will remain preserved and accessible to the public for future generations.”
Since taking office, President Obama has protected more than 265 million acres of land and water – more than any other president in American history – 97% of which are located in the Pacific Remote Islands National Monument.
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