Save The Bay gets $1.08M for marine education

PROVIDENCE – Members of the state’s congressional delegation today joined in announcing more than $1.08 million in federal funding for the Explore the Bay marine education program at Save The Bay. The nonprofit’s Explore the Bay programs “put the state ahead of the curve when it comes to experiential learning opportunities,” by supporting conservation-focused education, curriculum development and hands-on learning for youths and adults across the state, Curt Spalding, Save The Bay’s longtime executive director, said in a statement this morning. U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse secured $893,000 for the program, and U.S. Rep. Patrick J. Kennedy secured $188,000, in the government’s 2008 Appropriations measure.

“In Rhode Island, kids and their families are fortunate to have strong environmental education advocates working for them in Washington,” Spalding said. “This support helps teachers take marine science out of the classroom, making learning about the Bay and [its] watershed exciting and fun,” he added. “It’s a wise investment that will pay dividends for generations.” Reed, a member of the Appropriations committee, said the allotments “will give more Rhode Islanders the opportunity to get out on the water, explore the Bay, and learn firsthand about its many benefits and wonders. Save The Bay’s educators and volunteers do an outstanding job of teaching young people about the Bay, and this money will allow them to reach a wider audience,” he said.

“The pristine and beautiful Narragansett Bay has been one of Rhode Island’s greatest resources since the state’s founding,” Kennedy said in a statement. “Save The Bay … deserves all the credit and support we can bestow upon them for keeping our Narragansett Bay alive and well,” he added. Its marine education program “will allow the youth and future generations of Rhode Island to learn about and appreciate this wonderful natural resource.”

Whitehouse noted that, “for over 35 years, Save The Bay has been among Rhode Island’s leading voices in the fight to preserve and protect Narragansett Bay – our state’s greatest natural treasure. I was proud to join Jack Reed and Patrick Kennedy to secure this funding, to ensure that Save The Bay’s Explore the Bay marine education program is able to continue its vital mission,” he said.

A video recording from this morning’s news conference at the Save the Bay Center is available at www.YouTube.com.

Save The Bay, founded in 1970, is a nonprofit education and advocacy organization, dedicated to improving our state’s our economy, environment and quality of life by protecting, restoring and exploring the Narragansett Bay and its watershed. To learn more, visit www.SaveBay.org.