D.C. River Project Dedicated to Terrorism Victims

Lessons in River Ecology

The new educational program will help students learn about the Anacostia River and Kingman and Heritage Islands as vital natural resources and will support the geography and science curriculums of D.C. Public Schools.

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Students will study river ecology, plants and animal identification and classification, issues that affect the Anacostia River, and the relationship between people and the natural environment. The goal is for every fourth- through sixth-grade student to spend at least one day taking part in hands-on environmental activities on the island.

"This Environmental Education Program is an excellent memorial to commemorate the life and legacy of our students and teachers who exemplified the best in teaching and learning," said D.C. Public Schools Superintendent Paul Vance.

National Geographic Society President John Fahey announced that the Society will contribute U.S. $50,000 to the program and will be involved in helping to develop it.

"Since the September 11 disaster, the Society has rededicated its efforts to promote and improve geography education," Fahey said. "We hope that our partnership with the Mayor, D.C. Public Schools, Department of Parks and Recreation, Anacostia Watershed Society, and Earth Conservation Corps will help many generations of District schoolchildren become caring and responsible stewards of their neighborhood and environment.

Fahey said National Geographic has been reviewing the mission that the Society established when it was founded 113 years ago: the exploration of the world.

"We've been revisiting that, and what's really important today is to gain greater clarity and understanding of the environment," Fahey said. "We want to foster a keen understanding and appreciation of the world's natural assets, like these that surround us today."

The new program was launched during the Society's Geography Awareness Week, observed the week of November 11 through 17. The theme this year is rivers.

Geography Awareness Week marked the close of "Geography Action! Rivers 2001," a six-month program that urged students, teachers, families, and communities nationwide to take part in projects aimed at preserving rivers and watersheds and conserving water.

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