Apr 23, 2021 2 min read

Gov. Tom Wolf announced several state environmental education grants in commemoration of Earth Day Thursday.

Of the $459,823 designated to 51 different grants, several of them will go toward programs in Southwestern Pennsylvania that address the environment, climate change and water quality. The programs are geared toward educating youth and adults “living and /or working within environmental justice areas,” according to Wolf’s news release Thursday.

“These grants support projects that increase the environmental knowledge of community members statewide,” Wolf said. “This year’s awardees underscore the values of our Earth Week theme: Protect the Environment for All Pennsylvanians.”

The grants, awarded by the Department of Environmental Protection, included funds for conservation districts in both Greene and Washington counties. Greene received $1,400 to “support student-driven, place-based stream investigations and watershed assessment to connect local water quality issues with watersheds and land use,” the release said.

The Washington County Conservation District received $3,000 to host a “stormwater management workshop, distribute rain barrels and follow up with residents to support implementation of stormwater management practices,” the release states.

Fayette and Allegheny counties will benefit from the grants through the Pennsylvania Resources Council, which received $14,520, to be distributed among four counties, including Delaware and Montgomery. This money will be used to reduce waste in homes and “heighten environmental literacy involving topics such as climate change, water pollution, soil health, and gardening,” the release said.

The statewide program, Pennsylvania Envirothon, in which several local districts participate, will also receive $80,219 in funding to expand the high school competition that allows students to create or implement environment-driven solutions.