GREEN Committee Partners with EPA for Local Project
Protecting our local environment is what our Green Sanctuary is all about. So when Jackson Guard, working with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) asked our GREEN Committee for a few volunteers to work at Hazelwood Pond, we said yes. The project location was behind locked gates, down dusty roads deep into the Eglin reservation. Our purpose was to help turn artificially made Hazelwood Pond back into a natural feeder stream so that the endangered species Okaloosa Darter would have the proper habitat for survival. With 5 volunteers and 5 EPA supervisors and workers, we prepared the stream bank, layed and staked out matting to prevent erosion and planted about 60 trees. The work was completed in only half the time allotted, so we had time to walk in the cool stream and visit other sites that the EPA was supervising. Our only concern was that a few ants found their way into our lunch sacks, and the critters we were hoping to see heard us coming and left only their footprints.
It is encouraging to know that Jackson Guard is working hard to protect our local environment. They now know that UUFEC will partner with them for future environmental projects.
Hazelwood Pond Project Volunteers: Jeannette Debs, Brian Urbanczyk, Don Hawkins, Terry Thomas, Rod Debs.
Tags: Green Committee