News
1. Georgia Water Coalition News
2. Nominations Sought for American Land Conservation Award
3. Riversalive Cleanups – Register Now!

4. Environmental Education News
5. EPD Imposes Mandatory Outdoor Water Restrictions
6. River Clean Up Resources

Group Spotlight
7. Georgia Lakes Society

Workshops/Conferences/Calendar Items
8. Erosion and Sediment Control Workshop - Dalton
9. Institute for Conservation Leadership, SE Executive Director Program - North GA
10. Altamaha Riverkeeper Five Year Anniversary Celebration - Hawkinsville
11. DNR Board Meeting - June

12. Clean Water Campaign Events on Septic Tanks and Xeriscape – Metro Atlanta
13. The Role of Forests in Urbanizing Landscapes: Maintenance of Water Quality - AL
14. Developing and Managing River Flows with ESWM - California
15. Workshop: New Technology of Illicit Discharge Detection - Griffin

16. Weather Channel Special on Watersheds

17. Getting Your Message Out to the Media, A Workshop for Non-Profits - Columbus
18. Advocacy Workshop - Clarkesville
19. Upper Chattahoochee Riverkeeper Brown Bag Lunch Series: Post-ACF Compact: Should we leave it to the lawyers?

Policy
20. Protect Our Rivers and Fish from Mercury

Resources
21. Status and Trends of the Nation’s Biological Resources
22. Water Messaging Research by P2AD
23. Stormwater Resources from Center for Watershed Protection

Fundraising
24. Fundraising Deadlines

Join Georgia River Network!

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1. Georgia Water Coalition News
The next meeting of the Georgia Water Coalition will be July 15. Mark your calendars! For infomation about the coalition, visit www.georgiawater.org.

2. American Land Conservation Awards Notice
The Conservation Fund and the Catto Charitable Foundation sponsor an annual award, The American Land Conservation Award, given to an unsung hero working as a volunteer in his or her community on land and water issues. It is the largest cash prize in conservation; the winner receives $50,000 with no strings attached. It is a wonderful recognition and the application process is not elaborate. Deadline is July 21. Contact American Land Conservation Award at 703-525-6300 or visit www.conservationfund.org.

3. Rivers Alive Cleanup Event – Register Now!
2003 was a great year for Rivers Alive with over 24,000 volunteers! 2004 is going to be better! Register your cleanup event with Rivers Alive and reserve your free T-Shirts. Be sure to check out the Rivers Alive website at www.riversalive.org. It is updated with a new and improved Organizer and a great list of resources for those of you wishing to incorporate an educational element to your event. All cleanup organizers that register by July 31st will receive Rivers Alive t-shirts, on a first come, first serve basis. If you are not sure of the number of volunteers at your cleanup, please make a realistic estimate. The Rivers Alive Advisory Board does reserve the right to make final decisions on all requests for quantity and sizes. Important links: Registration form: http://www.riversalive.org/Registration.htm Organizer information page: http://www.riversalive.org/organize.htm If you have any questions or problems registering, please contact Kim Morris-Zarneke at 404-675-1636.

4. Environmental Education News
The EEinGEORGIA E-News is a monthly e-mail bulletin provided by the Environmental Education in Georgia web site (www.EEinGEORGIA.org). Visit the site to sign up. Below are excerpts from their latest email newsletter:

River of Words State and National Winners
River of Words is an international environmental poetry and art project designed to nurture respect and understanding of the natural world. State winners are selected by Georgia Project WET and the Georgia Center for the Book. In addition, eight National Grand Prize Winners are selected and receive a trip to Washington DC. 45 students from all areas of Georgia have been chosen winners in the 2004 River of Words contest! Visit www.eeingeorgia.org to view the list of winners and link to samples of winning poems and art.

Student Award for Excellence and Leadership in Groundwater
Any student, age 12-17, in the U.S. that gives time, energy, and knowledge to promote the protection of groundwater in his/her community is eligible. Nominations are due July 14, 2004. Visit www.eeingeorgia.org and click on news and then contests and awards.

5. EPD Imposes Mandatory Outdoor Water Restrictions
At its meeting on May 26, 2004, the Board of Natural Resources adopted rules which impose mandatory year round conservation-based outdoor water use restrictions. The mandatory restrictions will become effective on August 1, 2004 in order to give water utilities time to gear up for implementation; utilities may impose these restrictions and enforce them as early as June 16, 2004. Effective August 1, 2004, outdoor watering restrictions will be mandatory statewide on a year-round basis, and water customers will be required to schedule their outdoor water use in compliance with the following schedule: *Odd-numbered addresses may water only on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays (no hourly limits); *Even-numbered or unnumbered addresses may water only on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays (no hourly limits). *Should a drought be declared, further restrictions may be imposed. The severity of those restrictions will depend upon the severity of the drought, and these further restrictions may be imposed on a site-specific or regional basis. *Certain exceptions and exemptions are spelled out in the regulations, and will be explained in future advisories. Once these restrictions become mandatory, EPD will monitor systems for compliance. Systems may adopt alternate schedules, with the approval of EPD, which are at least as stringent as those listed above. This action is the next step toward full implementation of the statewide drought management plan which was adopted by Board of Natural Resources on March 26, 2003. That drought plan includes a set of outdoor water use restrictions to be implemented during non-drought periods. EPD envisions these restrictions as one of a number of water conservation elements expected to be included in a comprehensive statewide water conservation plan currently being developed. According to EPD, this kind of staggered outdoor water use has been shown to be an effective water demand management tool. Managing water demand is particularly important in regions experiencing rapid population growth, and few states are growing faster than Georgia has grown over the past 15 years. This water conservation initiative will help preserve a precious natural resource, help to protect an increasingly fragile aquatic environment, and increase water supply opportunities for future generations.

6. River Clean Up Resources
Does Your Group Host a Clean Up Event? If so, do you separate aluminum materials from other collected debris? Either way, River Network (national) has an offer for you! River Network is an Environmental Partner with the Anheuser-Busch Companies, Inc. Their Recycling Corporation is the world's largest recycler of aluminum beverage cans; they also collect and recycle post consumer scraps and other materials. A-BRC has offered to provide clean up Materials, contacts with Haulers, and possibly Funds to any group hosting a river or other waterway cleanup this year. Free Materials could include: Debris containers, plastic clear bags and floating net bags for aluminum collection and separation. Haulers: A-BRC has contacts with local recycling collection centers and beverage distributors all around the country. They can help get free containers delivered to your event and your debris hauled away. Aluminum is valuable! Want to raise an extra $1,000 or so during your clean up? Sort it and sell it! If you are interested in taking advantage of this offer, please contact Matt Burke, River Network, at 503-542-8383 or email mburke@rivernetwork.org.

7. Spotlight on Georgia Lakes Society (GRN Organizational Member Group)
When you visit the Georgia Lakes Society website at www.georgialakes.org you'll read: "Georgia lakes, ponds, and wetlands are in trouble. Many of these lakes and ponds have problems with excessive weed and algae growth, turbid water, or heavy sedimentation. Some have problems with bacterial or toxic contamination. Wetlands that protect lakes are being destroyed. Solutions for these problems are not readily available. Lake management efforts by lake associations, homeowners, and concerned citizens have been hampered by lack of hands-on experience. In the past, there has been no statewide forum for the exchange of information on lake management strategies. To address these needs, representatives of lake associations, state and local governments, professionals, academics, conservation agencies, and interested citizens have banded together to form the Georgia Lakes Society (GLS)."

GLS is a diverse group of folks drawn together by a common interest, the health of Georgia's waterways and watersheds in which lakes are a very important component. It is common knowledge that all but a handful of Georgia's lakes are impoundments, but that doesn't make them any less significant in the overall dynamics of the watershed. GLS is concerned with educating people about their lakes and the important role they play in the watershed.

The center piece program of GLS is the Adopt a Lakes (AAL) program. Those interested in the health of their local water body can learn simple monitoring techniques that will help them and GLS keep track of what’s happening quality-wise. GLS personnel will supply the training and make the necessary equipment available for purchase at cost. For systems as small as subdivision lakes to Lake Lanier, AAL is ready and able to help get homeowner’s associations, scouting groups, lake property owner’s associations, or even private individuals start an AAL program. For more information, consult www.georgialakes.org.

Join GLS! Many of Georgia’s rivers and streams feed into Georgia’s lakes, and in turn, all of Georgia’s lakes feed some river or stream. The two are connected, and the health of one affects the health of the other. Like the Georgia River Network, GLS is concerned with healthy watersheds, and for a nominal annual contribution, GLS members get quarterly newsletters, email updates about items relating to water quality and watersheds. GLS makes available to their members the Legislative Monitor which is published by the Georgia Environmental Council (GEC) during the state legislative session. Additionally, there are experts on hand for just about every lake question imaginable, and information exchanges for lake homeowners and lake associations. Since GLS is a member chapter of the North American Lake Management Society (NALMS), there is an introductory offer of getting NALMS premier magazine, LakeLine, at a discounted price. The benefits are many, so check us out on the web or email us at gls@georgialakes.org. Help GRN and GLS keep Georgia’s most valuable resources alive. Article thanks to Dr. Daniel J. Williams, Professor of Chemistry at Kennesaw State University

8. Workshop on Erosion & Sediment Control and Stormwater - Dalton

A workshop on Erosion & Sediment Control and Stormwater Management will be held on Tuesday, June 29, 2004 from 8:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the North Georgia Fair Association on 500 Legion Drive in Dalton, Georgia. The cost of the workshop is $25.00 (lunch included). The workshop is designed to combine actual on-the-ground applications of best management practices so that government officials, administrators, and staff can learn proper installation techniques. Additionally, there will be information on interpreting the law and ordinances, as well as information on how to prepare and implement good quality soil erosion and sedimentation or stormwater plans. Contact the Conasauga River Alliance at www.conasauga.net or call 706-625-7044.

9. ICL’s Southeast Executive Director Program – North GA

The Institute for Conservation Leadership will conduct a Southeast Executive Director Program, beginning with a five-day workshop from July 25-30 at the Center for New Beginnings in the Blue Ridge Mountains just north of Atlanta. According to Associate Director Baird Straughan, “The program is for the many executive directors of environmental groups who began their jobs with experience as activists, but little training as managers. It helps them put in perspective the challenges they and their organizations face.” The 8-month Southeast Executive Director Program is a special version of ICL’s flagship Executive Director Leadership Program, tailored to the needs of executive directors of environmental and conservation organizations in the Southeast. It gives you the knowledge, skills, and support you need to:

- Better manage and evaluate staff and volunteers;

- Work more effectively with the board of directors;

- Raise more funds and oversee finances;

- Lead organizations in planning for the future;

- Manage organizational change; and

- Develop a network of relationships and support between leaders and organizations.

If you’re interested, visit http://www.icl.org for full details. The Southeast Executive Director Leadership Program is open to Executive Directors (or Executive Directors in-training) of local, state or regional environmental and conservation nonprofits in the Southeastern United States. Deadline for registering for the program is June 23, 2004. Tuition varies by size of organization and some scholarship assistance is available. Contact Baird at baird@icl.org or (301) 270-2900 for further information.

10. Altamaha Riverkeeper Celebrates Fifth Anniversary

The fifth anniversary of the Altamaha Riverkeeper is coming soon. Join them for their celebration of the fact on Saturday, June 26, 2004, from noon to 4 p.m. on the Ocmulgee River in Hawkinsville. Begin with a low country boil and fish fry, followed by a presentation on the Altamaha Riverkeeper. Bring your canoe, swimsuit and fishing gear, but please RSVP first to 912-437-8164 by Friday, June 20. See www.altamahariverkeeper.org for information about the group.

11. DNR Board Meeting - June (DNR calendar thanks to Georgia Environmental Organization)
The next DNR Board meetings will occur June 29, 2004, 1 p.m., and June 30, 2004, 10 a.m., in the DNR Boardroom, Suite 1252, East Tower, 2 Martin Luther Jr. Drive, Atlanta (Sloppy Floyd Building). The North Georgia Mountains Authority meets at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, if necessary.

12. Clean Water Campain Workshops – Septic Tanks / Xeriscape
June 10- Septic Tank Maintenance and Care Workshop in South Fulton (6:30-8:30 p.m.) The Clean Water Campaign is hosting a septic tank workshop in partnership with the Fulton County Environmental Health Services to inform residents on the different functions of septic tanks, how they should function, common causes of failure, maintenance for longevity and potential contaminants in the effluent. The workshop will be held at the South Fulton Annex located at 5600 Stonewall Tell Road, College Park, GA 30349. For more information, call Corlette Dennard at 404-730-8097 or register online at www.cleanwatercampaign.com.

June 15- Rockdale County Xeriscape Workshop - The Clean Water Campaign is conducting a water-wise landscaping workshop on June 15 beginning at 7:00 PM at the Olivia Haydel Senior Center located at 1240 Dogwood Drive, Conyers, Georgia 30012. Xeriscaping can reduce outdoor water consumption by as much as 50 percent without sacrificing the quality and beauty of your home environment. Xeriscapes are low maintenance -- saving the homeowner time, effort and money. Further, Xeriscapes are more likely to survive drought than traditional landscapes. Register for the workshop by calling 404-463-3259 or go online to www.cleanwatercampaign.com.

June 17- Septic Tank Maintenance and Care Workshop- Roswell/North Fulton (7:00-8:30 p.m.) – See workshop description above. The workshop will be held at Roswell City Hall located at 38 Hill Street, Roswell, GA 30075. Register by calling Janet Liberman at (770) 641-3715 or register online at www.cleanwatercampaign.com.

June 22- Septic Tank Maintenance and Care Workshop- Cobb County (7:00-8:30 p.m.) - See workshop description above. The workshop will be held at the Cobb County Water Quality Lab Training Room located at 662 South Cobb Drive, Marietta, GA 30060-3105. Register by calling Jennifer McCoy at (770)528-1482 or register online at www.cleanwatercampaign.com.

June 24- Septic Tank Maintenance and Care Workshop- DeKalb County (6:00-7:30 p.m.) - See workshop description above. The workshop will be held at the DeKalb Cooperative Extension Service Training Room Address: 4380 Memorial Drive, Decatur, 30032 (across from the Sheriff Department). To register for the workshop call 404-463-3259 or register online at www.cleanwatercampaign.com.

June 28- Septic Tank Maintenance and Care Workshop- Clayton County (6:00-7:30 p.m.) - See workshop description above. The workshop will be held at the Clayton County Water Authority’s Community Room located at 1600 Battle Creek Rd, Morrow, GA 30260. Register by calling Kim Zimmerman at (678) 422-2838 or register online at www.cleanwatercampaign.com.

13. The Role of Forests in Urbanizing Landscapes: Maintenance of Water Quality
The Hotel at Auburn University & Dixon Conference Center, Auburn, Alabama
Wednesday, August 25th, 2004 from 8:00am – 4:30pm
The conference will present a general overview of water quality issues related to urban development, discuss several approaches to protection of watersheds in developing areas, solicit input from stakeholder groups regarding protection of water quality, and identify information gaps and opportunities associated with the concept of water quality services derived from forests. Early registration for this one-day conference is $35.00. Late (after July 25th) registration fees will be $50.00. Additional registration information can be obtained by contacting Lisa Ditchkoff (334/329-8288, lisa@pepsnow.com). For additional conference information, please contact Erik B. Schilling (334/844-1056, schileb@auburn.edu).

14. Developing and Managing River Flows with ESWM - California
Learn about Ecologically Sustainable Water Management (ESWM), a process for understanding and managing water resources that is potentially a powerful tool in hydro relicensing! A cutting edge workshop titled “Ecologically Sustainable Water Management: Developing Sustainable Water Management Solutions In The Context of FERC Hydropower Dam Proceedings” will be held on July 22nd and 23rd in Petaluma, CA. Ecologically Sustainable Water Management (ESWM) is both a philosophy and a framework. As a philosophy, it maintains that water management may often be changed to better serve ecosystem needs while continuing to meet human uses for water. As a framework, it presents six steps for evaluating opportunities to meet both human and ecosystem needs to reach sustainable solutions and implementing adaptive water management plans.

ESWM is highly adaptable and appropriate for a wide range of regulatory contexts, including the FERC licensing process. The Nature Conservancy has applied ESWM in numerous locations throughout the United States in conjunction with a diverse array of water management authorities. This workshop, offered jointly by The Nature Conservancy, American Rivers, and the Natural Heritage Institute, will introduce the ESWM approach and its application in the FERC licensing process. Lectures, small group exercises, and interactive project reviews will be used to teach attendees about ESWM, how to apply this framework, and specific relevant federal laws and policies. The workshop will also include an evening session on July 22 where state and federal employees, staff of NGOs and utility companies will share their experience in contributing to FERC proceedings.

More information about ESWM is available at http://www.freshwaters.org. The registration deadline for this workshop is June 18, but early registration is highly encouraged as this event is expected to sell-out. Registration fees include lodging on July 21 and 22, most meals during the workshop; materials on each session included in a notebook as well as other handouts; and access to all sessions. On-line registration materials are now available at: http://www.seeuthere.com.

15. Workshop: New Technology of Illicit Discharge Detection and Sewer Overflows: NPDES Phase 11 Illicit Detection “Infrared”

Sponsored by the Georgia Association of Stormwater Management Agencies, this workshop is to be held at Griffin Technical College on July 21 from 9:00 – 1:30. Cost is $75. Contact Brant at 770-229-6424 for information and sign up.

16. Weather Channel Special on Watersheds

EPA's Acting Assistant Administrator for Water, Benjamin Grumbles, announced the airing of an upcoming ½ hour television special about watersheds co-produced by the Environmental Protection Agency and The Weather Channel. After the Storm will run on The Weather Channel on Saturday, June 26th at 8:30 and 11:30 pm EST.

17. Getting Your Message Out to the Media - A Workshop for Non-Profits - Columbus
WRBL TV is sponsoring a workshop for non-profits on Saturday June 26th from 9:00am-1:00 in the community room of the Columbus police station. Part of the day will include a q and a session with some news managers including the editors of the Ledger Enquirer and the Columbus Times. To sign up, contact Dave Marshall at dmarshall@wrbl.com.

18. Advocacy Training - Clarkesville

Advocating for the Protection and Restoration of Your Watershed

Sponsored by Georgia River Network and Georgia Conservation Voters

Learn how to:

How to build a relationship with your decision makers
How to track legislation, law-making, rule-making and decision-making at the federal, state, and local level
How to communicate with Federal, State and Local Legislators
How to influence law-making, rule-making and decision-making at the federal, state, and local level
How public officials who support protection and restoration of watersheds are elected
How to safely stay within legal limits for your 501(c)(3) organization while advocating for your cause or participating in election activities
June 30, 7:00-9:00 PM

Clarkesville-Habersham Co. Library

178 East Green St., Clarkesville
Cost: free

Coming Soon-Advocacy Training in: Rome, Athens, Milledgeville, Jesup.
To register, visit www.garivers.org or call 706-549-4508.

19. Upper Chattahoochee Riverkeeper Brown Bag Lunch Series:
Post-ACF Compact: Should we leave it to the lawyers?
Tuesday, June 22nd noon – 1 pm
Location: The Georgia Conservancy, 817 West Peachtree Street, Suite 200
The Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint (ACF) Basin Compact expired last summer.

Now that the negotiations have moved into the courts, what can non lawyers do? And should we care? Sandy Tucker, Field Supervisor for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, will help us see the current status of the tristate water disputes from a fish’s point of view. She will provide insights into the importance of river flows, possible consequences of managing the reservoirs primarily for drought, and examine it all from a critter (mussels, fish, etc) perspective. This is a BYOBB event (bring your own brown bag lunch). Upper Chattahoochee Riverkeeper will provide drinks. For more information on Upper Chattahoochee Riverkeeper go to www.chattachoochee.org. For Directions, visit www.georgiaconservancy.org. Please RSVP by June 18th. To RSVP, or for more information, contact Skelly Holmbeck-Pelham at skelly@ucriverkeeper.org or 404.352.9828.

20. Protect Our Rivers and Fish from Mercury (from American Rivers)
Your voice is needed to tell the EPA to protect human health and rivers, streams, and lakes from the dangerous impacts of mercury pollution. Public comments are due by June 29th. Last December, the EPA released its proposal to reduce the danger posed by mercury from power plants. However, instead of protecting Americans from the toxic impacts of mercury, the proposal protects special interests by delaying significant mercury cleanup until 2018 and only requiring power plants to reduce their mercury emissions by a fraction of what the Clean Air Act would require in just a few years. Power plants emit approximately 48 tons of mercury per year into the air. But what goes up must come down. Airborne mercury pollution from smokestacks falls into our rivers, streams, and lakes where it accumulates in the food chain, especially fish. Anyone who eats contaminated fish, particularly children, is at risk. In children and adults, mercury exposure can cause irreversible damage to the brain, kidneys, and cardiovascular system, and is also known to reduce fertility. Public comments on the proposed mercury rule are due by June 29th. Please take action today and tell the Bush administration to withdraw the proposed mercury rule and return to a path of requiring power plants to reduce their emissions of mercury by 90 percent by 2008. To take action, please visit: www.americanrivers.org and click take action.

21. Status and Trends of the Nations Biological Resources

This report is a major publication on national biological resources that compiles and presents status and trends information for use by resource managers and the public. It presents detailed information on ecosystems, plants, and animals. Visit http://biology.usgs.gov/s+t/SNT/.

22. Water Messaging Research
P2AD, in conjunction with the Georgia Water Wise Council, the Environmental Policy Program at Georgia State University, and the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Water Conservation Coordinator, hosted the 2003 Georgia Water Wise Summit on Monday, November 3, 2003. The Summit was the culmination of a series of research projects led by P2AD with assistance from its partners. P2AD engaged the research firm Responsive Management to examine public attitudes across Georgia about water issues, including the types of messages most likely to motivate the public to conserve water. P2AD's goal in the research project was to make that information available to all interested parties in hopes that the messages would be useful and would be integrated into educational materials as appropriate. The completed research was the focus of the Summit. Visit http://www.p2ad.org/watermessaging.html.

23. Stormwater Managers Resource Center - This website is maintained by Center for Watershed Protection and has downloadable resources to address stormwater management issues. Visit www.stormwatercenter.net.

24. Fundraising Deadlines
The following foundations are either new to our list of grants or have upcoming deadlines to submit proposals. To view grantmakers that give throughout the year, visit our website at www.garivers.org and click on Grants.

Ben and Jerry's Foundation provides grants ranging from $1,000 - $15,000 for grassroots organizing that leads to environmental change and addresses the root causes of environmental problems. Letters of inquiry must be submitted ten weeks prior to the grant cycle deadline for full proposals. Deadlines to submit a full proposal (for invited applicants only) are: March 1st, July 1st, November 1st. Visit www.benjerry.com/foundation/guidelines.html for more information.

Captain Planet Foundation provides grants to organizations that promote an understanding of the environment and involve youth ages 6-18. Grants range from $250 - $2,500. Deadlines for submitting grant applications are March 31, June 30, September 30, and December 31. Visit www.captainplanetfdn.org to learn about Captain Planet Foundation guidelines.

The Community Foundation funds projects in the 23 county Metro Atlanta area. Visit www.atlcf.org. Deadline is July 16, 2004.

National Weather Association Education Grants
The National Weather Association awards $500 grants to K-12 teachers to improve the study of meteorology. Selected teachers can use the funds to take accredited courses, attend workshops and conferences, or purchase materials for the classroom. The deadline for application is August 1. Visit http://www.nwas.org/solhirsch.html.

The Nature of Learning Grants
The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (Foundation), in cooperation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) National Wildlife Refuge System and the National Conservation Training Center (NCTC), The Keystone Center, and National Wildlife Refuge Association, is pleased to solicit applications from organizations interested in initiating or expanding The Nature of Learning in their communities. The Nature of Learning is the National Wildlife Refuge System’s new community-based environmental education initiative that seeks to:

*Use National Wildlife Refuges as outdoor classrooms to promote a greater understanding of local conservation issues;

*Encourage an interdisciplinary approach to learning that seeks to enhance student academic achievement;
*Utilize field experiences and student-led stewardship projects to connect classroom lessons to real world issues; and

*Involve a partnership among local schools, community groups, natural resource professionals and local businesses.
Grants of up to $5,000 will be awarded on a competitive basis to support start-up expenses associated with new programs. In addition, grants of up to $3,000 will be awarded on a competitive basis to provide continued support to existing Nature of Learning programs.

Who should apply for The Nature of Learning grants?
Schools or non-profit organizations, including "Friends" groups, Cooperative and Interpretive Associations, Audubon chapters, conservation organizations, and nature centers, are eligible to apply for funding. By becoming part of The Nature of Learning program, your community will be eligible for financial and technical assistance to help achieve the following:

*Build educational value on National Wildlife Refuges so that visits, exposure and enthusiasm on public lands expand and continue;

*Introduce a process to enhance critical thinking skills and better prepare students as future community leaders;

*Create long-lasting relationships among teachers, local businesses, community leaders and Refuge personnel; and

*Develop and nurture a strong sense of stewardship and civic pride using the National Wildlife Refuge and community as outdoor classrooms. Application deadline is June 28, 2004. Visit www.nfwf.org/programs/tnol.htm

Toshiba America Foundation Grants for Enhancing Math and Science Education
Toshiba America Foundation contributes to the quality of science and mathematics education in the U.S. with an annual grant budget of approximately $500,000. Some recipients in grades 7 - 12 are working on ecological field studies, water quality assessment, and soil microbiology. Deadline for K – 6th grade programs is October 1st. Grant Applications for 7th – 12th grade programs are accepted year round for grants under $5,000 and are due February 1st and August 1st for grants over $5,000. Teachers are encouraged to contact the Toshiba Foundation directly before submitting an application. Please visit www.toshiba.com/taf for further details.

Join Georgia River Network
If you find news stream and other information and services provided by Georgia River Network useful, we would appreciate your financial support! Visit www.garivers.org and join today!

Dana Skelton
Director of Administration and Outreach
Georgia River Network
1090 S. Milledge Avenue
Athens, GA 30605
Voice: 706-549-4508
Fax: 706-549-7791
www.garivers.org