Elementary School Students and Neighbors Volunteer at Morse Wildlife Preserve as Part of Nationwide Kick-Off For Audubon

TogetherGreen Volunteer Days

Project Is Part of Nationwide Initiative to Engage Volunteers in Conservation Efforts

WHAT:        Morse Preserve TogetherGreen Volunteer Day

The Morse Wildlife Preserve exists because of the generous donation from the Morse family to the Cascade Land Conservancy. Education programs at the Preserve are run by Tahoma Audubon Society. Teachers at nearby Rocky Ridge Elementary School saw an opportunity to teach science and ecology through experience and experimentation at the Preserve, as well as teach them about stewardship and volunteerism. This program is designed to connect classroom learning with activities in nature, valuable opportunities that are disappearing from public schools nationwide.

WHO:                 Tahoma Audubon Society, Rocky Ridge Elementary, Cascade Land Conservancy

As many as 75 volunteers from Rocky Ridge Elementary School and the neighboring community will be planting native plants, removing invasive species and restoring forest and wetland habitats.

WHEN:            Tuesday, October 7, 2008, 9:30-1:30. Rain or Shine.

WHERE:          The Morse Wildlife Preserve is located on 70^th Street E, in Graham, WA. The private entrance is across the street between 254^th and 255^th streets E.  

CONTACTS:    For media inquiries, contact: Bryan Flint, Executive Director, Tahoma Audubon Society 253-565-9129, or Brenda Timm at 212-979-3198 or btimm@audubon.org

Interested volunteers, contact Steph Swaim. 253-565-5479

BACKGROUND:  
Along with volunteer days like this one, TogetherGreen will fund conservation projects, train environmental leaders, and offer a wealth of individual and collective opportunities for people nationwide to significantly benefit the environment. The Audubon program is funded by a five year grant from Toyota—the largest in Audubon’s history. 

TogetherGreen volunteer events are designed to connect people with ways to make a conservation difference in their local communities. By building stronger alliances with other local organizations, Audubon hopes to attract new and diverse volunteers to help address pressing environmental problems and opportunities.

The event will offer excellent photo opportunities between 9:30 and 1:30, as well as great potential for local stories on environmental volunteerism, non-profit/corporate alliances for conservation, and ways that science education can be enhanced in our local schools.  

TogetherGreen volunteer events are being held at over 40 participating Audubon sites in Seattle, Los Angeles, Tucson, Tulsa, San Antonio, Chicago, New York and dozens of others. This coordinated kick-off effort is being synchronized to celebrate National Public Lands Day, the nation’s largest hands-on volunteer effort to improve and enhance the public lands Americans enjoy. 

Thousands of Toyota employees from offices, sales and manufacturing facilities across the country are expected to join various volunteer efforts over the five-year initiative to help build volunteer conservation impact. 

For more information on TogetherGreen, please visit www.togethergreen.org.