Clearwater’s Urban Outreach Internship Program Receives Environmental Excellence Award One of Eight Organizations Nationwide to receive $10,000 Grant Poughkeepsie, NY, May 15, 2005 - Hudson River Sloop Clearwater was one of eight conservation-minded school and community groups from across the country honored at the SeaWorld/Busch Gardens/Fujifilm Environmental Excellence Awards (EEA) held Thursday, April 21 at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, FL. The winning groups received $10,000 for their efforts. Ginny Busch, President of the SeaWorld & Busch Gardens Conservation Fund, presented the awards. Shelley Berlincourt, Clearwater Educator, and interns Ayanna Lewis (Laurelton, NY), Stephanie Arriola (Bronx, NY) and Adriani Leon (NY, NY) accepted the award for Clearwater.   Clearwater’s Urban Outreach Internship Program targets urban youth for one and two-week onboard environmental education programs. The program has several phases—recruiting and supporting the intern application process, and mentoring before, during and after the internship. Launched in 1995 with a gift from Pete Seeger, Clearwater’s Urban Outreach Internship Program has reached over 3,000 young people and more than 200 educators and youth-serving professionals through introductory environmental science presentations at schools and youth organizations serving low-income urban youth. Over the last five years, 48 young people attending these presentations have become Urban Outreach Interns and nine interns have returned to complete a second, more in-depth internship.   Clearwater will use the award to reach more youth in urban neighborhoods in New York City and throughout the Hudson Valley. Kitama Seeger Jackson, recently elected to the Clearwater Board of Directors, has made expansion of the Urban Outreach Internship program a priority project of his board service. He is working with Clearwater’s Education Director, Linda Richards, to explore how the program, which introduces young people to opportunities for higher education and careers in environmental fields can effectively serve more young people. “Historically, the environmental movement has been a predominantly white middle class movement,” Mr. Jackson notes. “For nearly 10 years, Clearwater has been working on ways to effectively reach out to a wider demographic. In addition to exposing tens of thousands of elementary school kids to the Hudson River each year, we are now giving high school students environmental leadership skills that they can draw upon for the rest of their lives.”   The EEA winners were selected from more than 100 applications from across the country. Since 1993, the Anheuser-Busch Adventure Parks, which include three SeaWorld and two Busch Gardens parks, have recognized the outstanding conservation efforts of kindergarten through 12th grade students and have donated more than $1 million to over 100 schools and youth organizations through the EEA program. Last year the program was expanded to honor community groups that have worked on behalf of environmental initiatives. The Awards provide the winners with financial support, public recognition, professional mentorship and some well-deserved fun at one of the BEC parks. This year, the EEA Formal Awards Event was hosted by Busch Gardens Tampa Bay.   The 2005 winning projects include Clearwater’s Urban Outreach Internship Program in Poughkeepsie, NY; the Nauticus Junior Scientist Club in Norfolk, VA; the School of the Future Roof Garden Project in New York, NY; the Young Park Prairie Project in Blue Springs, MO; the Jackpot Outdoor Classroom in Jackpot, NV; Save our Stream in Gates Mills, OH; Wetland Avengers, San Diego, CA; and Oceans Alive in Landlocked Iowa in Des Moines, IA.   The EEA Awards program is actively supported by ten conservation partners including Fujifilm, Hubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute, World Wildlife Fund, Conservation International, Izaak Walton League of America, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, National Geographic Society, National Science Teachers Association, National Wildlife Federation, and The Nature Conservancy. In addition to protecting and preserving our natural resources, these organizations contribute significantly to wildlife science and research; help establish conservation priorities and work to increase environmental awareness. These environmental partners contribute directly to the evaluation process and network with award winners to provide critical support and mentorship to insure the future success of each winning project.   Clearwater’s award was sponsored by the National Wildlife Federation, the nation’s largest member-supported conservation group, uniting individuals, organizations, businesses and government to protect wildlife, wild places, and the environment upon which we all depend.