Date:  June 27, 2001
Contact: Irene Cromer
(703) 791-8720

 The Woodbridge Middle School Ecology Club was selected by the Prince William Clean Community Council as its Ecology Club of the Year for the 2000-2001 school year.  Advisor Sue Conklin was also recognized as the Environmental Teacher of the Year in the middle school category.  Rippon Middle School and Westridge Elementary School ecology clubs received Honorable Mention Awards.  Jane Cindric, a teacher at Henderson Elementary School, was named Elementary School Teacher of the Year, and Chris Stallings, an advanced placement environmental science teacher at Hylton High School, was named High School Environmental Teacher of the Year.  Amanda Herbert, an eighth grade student at Godwin Middle School, was named the Clean Community Council’s Ecology Club Student of the Year.

 Woodbridge Middle School Ecology Club students participated in a number of earth friendly projects.  A study trip on the Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s Mildred Belle Work Boat led to a wild celery propagation and monitoring program.  The celery was transplanted to Mason Neck Park in early June.  Students also volunteered at Leesylvania State Park’s Earth Day celebration and educated visitors on the importance of woodland plants to watershed maintenance.  Club members also conduct two cleanups around the school each year, and are responsible for a courtyard nature habitat, complete with pond and perennial garden, on school grounds.  The club also helped establish a nature trail at the school and is working on lesson plans and a guidebook for teachers on organisms found along the trail.

 The Rippon Middle School Ecology Club, sponsored by Ann Callendar, sponsored many school-wide activities that recycled or reused items.  Members organized a plastic bag-recycling project through Enviro Bags and Safeway and encouraged energy conservation by posting “Save Electricity” signs near light switches.  They also participated in the Earth Day celebration at Leesylvania State Park and grew wild celery plants.  Earlier this year, Rippon earned the distinction of being named one of Governor Gilmore’s Virginia Naturally 2000 Schools.
 Westridge Elementary School’s Ecology Club, under the guidance of Barbara Reese, continued its Adopt-A-Highway affiliation in front of Chinn Park Library and helped the school PTO with a school beautification project.  Members studied a wide variety of topics, including birds, vernal and tidal pools, insects and pond life, and participated in the Virginia Tree Project and county-sponsored Earth Day activities.

 Jane Cindric, the elementary level Environmental Teacher of the Year, established Henderson H.O.P.E. (Henderson Organization to Protect the Environment) and is the sponsor of the Ecology Club.  Through H.O.P.E, she coordinates the maintenance of the bird and butterfly gardens, organizes spring cleanups and adopts parcels of the Rain Forest.
 Chris Stallings, selected as the high school Environmental Teacher of the Year, is an avid recycler who places recycling bins in his classroom and requires his students to complete out-of- class activities related to the environment.

 Amanda Herbert, selected as the Ecology Club Student of the year, was nominated by Godwin Middle School Ecology Club sponsor James Figgins.  On her own initiative, Amanda located areas within the community and targeted them for cleanup by the Ecology Club.  She also rescued turtles from a contaminated stream near the school and is dedicated to cleaning up streams and ponds, making safer habitats for local wild life.