Dupont Award

Dupont Sustainable Growth Award benefits area Program at Mac Johnson Wildlife Area

It’s just like Dupont to step up and follow words with actions when it comes to environmental issues. From Dupont Maitand’s 1997 installation of nitrous oxide reduction systems to Dupont/INVISTA’s Kingston windmills of today, they continue to lead industry and support community efforts.

Recently, a ‘Visionary Site Energy Project Team’ from Dupont Maintland was awarded the Dupont Sustainable Growth Excellence Award and has shared their success and vision with the Brockville area. Through a $2300 donation to Environmental Connections Outdoor Education Association, the Dupont team responsible for winning the Growth Award has demonstrated their continued support for environmental education.

The Dupont team members Peter Chantraine, Linda Beairsto and Maureen Gardner along with Brian Barr from Vector Wind Energy, Inc. were awarded the Dupont Sustainable Growth Excellence Award for developing the concept and signing licenses to install a wind farm at the Kingston DuPont/INVISTA site. Five to six percent of the site’s energy needs will be met through the wind turbines scheduled for installation in 6 to 16 months. In the past ten years, this Kingston site has already pursued energy conservations methods equivalent to 17 percent of its total energy use.

Taking leadership in the field of alternative energy sources and reducing harmful greenhouse gas emissions has not stopped at the company’s boarders. The team has engaged the talents and participation of the local community and the local college is developing courses linked to the project. The team continues its community involvement through the sharing of two grants made possible through the Sustainable Growth Award. Two Ontario organizations have received the grants to help further their efforts in sustainability and environmental education. One grant is to the Enviro-Club for sixth, seventh and eighth grade students at the E.J. James Public School. The other will fund outdoor education programs for children and adults in the Brockville area.

Environmental Connections Outdoor Education Association is a not-for-profit organization working out of the Mac Johnson Wildlife Area North of Brockville. Being chosen for the $2300 grant means that over 400 area students will be spending time at the Mac Johnson Wildlife Area engaged in hands-on, curriculum based outdoor education discovery. These programs help students learn environmental concepts, give them the opportunity to spend time in nature and help them connect with the natural world, a process that is essential if these children are going to make environmentally conscious decisions in the future.

Environmental Connections would like to thank Dupont and the Visionary Site Energy Project Team for their continued efforts in leading the way in environmentally sustainable innovations. From the large projects to the small, we can all make a difference.

Environmental Connections Outdoor Education Association can be reached for questions or comments at enviroconnect@aol.com.