On Sept. 26, 2017, Dominion Energy presented a check for $6,600 to Baltimore Woods Nature Center in support of Nature in the City, which teaches science to more than 10,000 students in the Syracuse City School District. Dominion Energy announced its continuing commitment to the urban environmental education program during the annual Nature in the City Kick-off Breakfast at the Syracuse City School District Professional Development Center where dozens of sponsors and school administrators met to celebrate the start of the 16 th year of this hands-on, natural science learning program.
Dominion Energy has been supporting Nature in the City since 2009, making 2017 its ninth year giving grants to the program.
“We are proud to continue our financial support for Nature in the City,” said Stan J. Ossowski, Manager, Gas Transmission Operations, Dominion Energy. “This unique environmental hands-on program provides young students a great opportunity to enjoy learning science by being exposed to nature outside the classroom.”
This year, Dominion’s grant money will allow more than 350 students at Van Duyn Elementary to receive the program.
At its inception in 2002, Nature in the City was piloted in one Syracuse City school and since that time has grown to serve all 19 elementary schools in the district. The program’s environmental educators deliver three, one-hour interactive lessons to students in kindergarten through sixth grade. Each lesson is tailored to New York State Science Standards and supports teachers in the delivery of their science curriculum. Nature in the City teaches students through activities that provide direct experiences with nature, such as discovering aquatic invertebrates in Furnace Brook as part of their study on water quality, going on a bird walk to identify habitats in their neighborhood, and studying how energy flows through the City of Syracuse.
Nature in the City is a successful working example of a community-wide collaboration. The program is funded in part by the Syracuse City School District with support from dozens of local corporations, organizations, and individuals across Central New York.
“One of the greatest testaments to the impact of Nature in the City is the continued commitment of our community partners like Dominion Energy. Their support of this program allows our education team to engage students across 400 Syracuse City School District classrooms, connecting them to nature in their own neighborhoods, and inspiring future environmental stewards,” said Whitney Lash-Marshall, Executive Director at Baltimore Woods Nature Center.
Other corporate sponsors and foundations for the current school year include: Byrne Dairy, Carrier Corporation, Lockheed Martin, Lockheed Martin Employee Federated Fund, National Grid, O’Brien & Gere, SRC, Inc., Syracuse City School District, and anonymous donors and friends.