New Year’s Day: a time of renewed optimism, goal setting and new beginnings. If you need motivation for your own New Year’s resolution, you may want to look to the diverse environmental work being done by PSEG employees, teachers and other residents all across the Garden State. It is inspiring.
In Northern Jersey, PSE&G's Environmental Partnership Team members spend their free time on projects up and down the Hackensack River watershed. They construct nesting platforms and bird boxes, clean the river, and support oyster gardening efforts. The results are real. Wildlife is coming back to the Meadowlands, and people can enjoy and experience nature close to home, year-round.
In Essex County, Jim Christiano has been “rolling up his sleeves” for years. Jim is helping to restore the Eagle Rock Reservation to the place he remembers from his teenage years.
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With a dedicated group of volunteers, he has cleaned and replaced dozens of culverts, beautifying the Reservation after years of neglect.
Others are teaching youngsters about their role as stewards of the environment.
South Jersey students are gaining an appreciation of aquatic life through a program run by the New Jersey Academy for Aquatic Sciences. The program is opening kids’ eyes to the delicate balance of nature as they “get wet” while gaining knowledge.
The New Jersey Tae Kwon Do for Youth Foundation – guided by another team of PSEG volunteers – inspires children to improve the environment in their own backyards. By clearing vacant lots and riverfronts and planting community gardens, Hudson County youngsters are making their own contribution to a better world.
Good environmental stewardship often starts in schools. In 2008, PSEG gave grants to seven New Jersey teachers to supplement textbook instruction with hands-on learning. Recipients linked their students' understanding of math, science, computer science, and technology with an enthusiasm for and appreciation of the environment. One recipient, Lisa D’Andrea, a 5th grade teacher at JFK Elementary School in Jamesburg, uses kits to make a miniature home with solar panels and windmills. The lesson is a powerful way to teach the power of alternative energy.
As we start 2009, consider carving out some time to contribute to an organization or initiative that is restoring the Garden State to its natural beauty. A small contribution from each of us can add up to a real difference in the world.
What’s your view? Please let us know at Opinion@PSEG.com.
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