EPA Grant Helps University of Texas and Girl Scouts Protect the Gulf of Mexico | WPN World People News

A grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will help Girl Scouts in Texas learn about and protect the Gulf of Mexico, in partnership with the University of Texas at Austin. The award of $150,000 to UT-Austin will facilitate the environmental education project with the Girl Scouts of Central Texas and Greater South Texas.

“The Gulf of Mexico is an invaluable ecological and economic resource,” said Regional Administrator Anne Idsal. “Helping young people become active stewards of this watershed will help the gulf and coastal communities thrive.”

UT-Austin will work with the Girl Scouts to provide environmental education and stewardship opportunities focused on improving water quality in the Gulf of Mexico watershed. Activities will include one-day events with large groups as well as semester-long interactions with smaller groups. The goal is to help participants understand, prevent, and reduce pollution in the Gulf of Mexico from bacteria, oil spills, and nutrients.

The grant was given by EPA’s Gulf of Mexico Program, which works to protect and restore the health and productivity of the gulf by improving water quality and coastal community resilience, increasing environmental education, and restoring critical habitat. The Gulf of Mexico is recognized worldwide as a vast and productive body of water with tremendous value in ecological, economic, and social terms.

Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency