The Friends of the Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge have donated $7,000 to fund educational field trips for Palm Beach County schools.
This funding has been provided to the School District of Palm Beach County through a one-year grant from the Jim Moran Foundation. The donation will be combined with funds raised by members of the Friends and will be used for bus transportation to ensure that school children can take advantage of educational field trips to the refuge.
Recently, the Friends were awarded a $10,000 grant from the Jim Moran Foundation for “Wheels to Environmental Learning Lessons,” a program that helps more children visit the refuge to participate in hands-on, environmental learning activities. The balance of the grant will be combined with additional funding and will be provided to the school district in 2019.
“The additional funding from the Jim Moran Foundation will allow the Friends to significantly increase ongoing support for transportation to ensure that more Palm Beach County school children will be able to take advantage of the educational opportunities at the refuge,” said Elinor Williams, president of the Friends of the Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge.
Tom Salinsky, science program planner for the Palm Beach County School District, said that the money will be put to good use.
“For many of these schoolchildren, it is their first opportunity to experience the Everglades first hand,” he said. “Their refuge visit enhances their scientific knowledge, targets some of our most important science standards, and increases the likelihood that these students will have a greater understanding and appreciation for the importance of the Everglades and the beautiful county in which we live.”
Since 2016, the Friends have provided a total of $27,000 in supplemental funding to the PBCSD to pay for bus transportation to the refuge.
The refuge is located at 10216 Lee Road, off State Road 7 between Atlantic Ave. and Boynton Beach Blvd. Learn more at www.loxahatcheefriends.com or call (561) 734-8303.
