September 21, 2004: Headlines: COS - Colombia: Congress: Education: Monterey Herald: Recalling how his science teachers and a childhood spent outdoors in Carmel helped shape his life as a biology major and later as a politician, Rep. Sam Farr delivered nearly a half million dollars Monday for educational programs teaching local students about Monterey Bay watersheds

Peace Corps Online: Directory: Colombia: Special Report: Sam Farr: Sam Farr: Archived Stories: September 21, 2004: Headlines: COS - Colombia: Congress: Education: Monterey Herald: Recalling how his science teachers and a childhood spent outdoors in Carmel helped shape his life as a biology major and later as a politician, Rep. Sam Farr delivered nearly a half million dollars Monday for educational programs teaching local students about Monterey Bay watersheds

By Admin1 (admin) (151.196.185.151) on Saturday, October 02, 2004 - 1:12 pm: Edit Post

Recalling how his science teachers and a childhood spent outdoors in Carmel helped shape his life as a biology major and later as a politician, Rep. Sam Farr delivered nearly a half million dollars Monday for educational programs teaching local students about Monterey Bay watersheds

Recalling how his science teachers and a childhood spent outdoors in Carmel helped shape his life as a biology major and later as a politician, Rep. Sam Farr delivered nearly a half million dollars Monday for educational programs teaching local students about Monterey Bay watersheds

Recalling how his science teachers and a childhood spent outdoors in Carmel helped shape his life as a biology major and later as a politician, Rep. Sam Farr delivered nearly a half million dollars Monday for educational programs teaching local students about Monterey Bay watersheds

Grants aid ocean research

Farr presents $480,000 check to schools, education groups

By VIRGINIA HENNESSEY

Herald Staff Writer

Recalling how his science teachers and a childhood spent outdoors in Carmel helped shape his life as a biology major and later as a politician, Rep. Sam Farr delivered nearly a half million dollars Monday for educational programs teaching local students about Monterey Bay watersheds.

The congressman chose the day, which coincided with the release of the final report by the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy, to call on President Bush to respond quickly to the commission's "serious recommendations" for restoring the oceans' health.

Farr, who initiated the legislation and will testify about its recommendations before the Senate Commerce Committee today, said Bush could improve his "lousy policy on the environment" by endorsing the non-partisan commission, which the president appointed.

Bush's endorsement, he added, could also motivate some in Congress who have been reluctant to back the recommendations because, "They don't want to get into new management responsibilities."

It's imperative that the ocean be managed not piecemeal but as an ecosystem, he said, using management practices being applied to agriculture in the Salinas Valley, where growers are increasingly using techniques such as drip irrigation to reduce erosion harmful to local waterways.

Stressing the need to create tomorrow's ocean stewards by providing hands-on outdoor education to today's youth, Farr was in town to hand over a check for $480,000 to 15 educational groups and schools, including Seaside High School, which hosted the ceremony.

The grant recipients are participating in the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary's Bay Watershed Education and Training (B-WET) Program, which uses the outdoors to teach students about their connection to the greater environment.

Founded in Chesapeake Bay and established here in 2003, the program is the first federally funded environmental education grant program focused solely on the Monterey Bay.

Among the recipients:

• Carmel Unified School System, $50,000. Students from Carmel Valley Middle School and youth from outlying underserved areas will monitor the health of the Carmel River.

• Seaside High School, $40,155. Students have already begun investigating the factors influencing the health of invertebrates by studying the sand crab population at Seaside Beach.

Simone Truitt, a junior biology student, said her work on the project "has really changed my life. It has made me want to be a marine biologist."

• Monterey High School, $31,546. Students will participate in long-term monitoring of the rocky intertidal and sandy shores throughout the Peninsula.

• Exploring New Horizons, $34,000. Students from underserved communities will attend a five-day environmental education program that will include assessing the sand crab population in the Santa Cruz area.

• California State University-Monterey Bay Foundation, $47,128. The Watershed Institute will use $36,935 to establish a credited, certificate program providing environmental community service experiences for students. The remainder will be used to train teachers at Camp SEA (Science, Education and Adventure) Lab so they can set up their own classroom activities.

As a child in Carmel before the days of television, Farr said, it was nature and the outdoors that fascinated him. Suffering from undiagnosed dyslexia, school was a struggle, he said, but in the sixth grade, a science teacher pointed out his success in that subject.

The congressman said it was those experiences that led him to major in biology and to later apply those lessons in the Peace Corps and work for the "underserved" in politics.

Acknowledging his sixth-grade teacher, he said the B-WET program provides critical support for teachers who are still directing today's youth toward an appreciation for the environment and possible careers in science.

montereyherald.com.
Virginia Hennessey can be reached at 646-4355 or vhennessey@





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Story Source: Monterey Herald

This story has been posted in the following forums: : Headlines; COS - Colombia; Congress; Education

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