ECHO
Trinity junior receives Young Environmentalist AwardFriday, June 29, 2012 By ECHO Staff/Campus News
The Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet awarded its first Young Environmentalist Award to Trinity High School junior Matthew Addison. Addison received the award during the legislature’s Natural Resources and Environment Committee by State Rep. Tim Moore (R-Hardin) and EEC Secretary Len Peters. The Young Environmentalist Award recognizes young people who decide on their own to serve as environmental stewards. "It’s important that we recognize Kentucky’s youth who are making a difference in our state," Peters said. "If we are to protect and preserve our environment, we must reinforce the idea that environmental stewardship is everyone’s responsibility." Each summer for the past 10 years, Addison and his family and friends have waded through a two-mile stretch of the Little Barren River, picking up discarded trash and tires and hauling them back to shore in john boats for disposal. "This year we collected 38 tires, including four tractor tires, one washing machine, a television set and all sorts of smaller debris," Addison said. "These items were gathered on a portion of water that encompasses river frontage on seven different farms. This marks the 10th straight year that we have cleaned up this body of water. During this time frame, we have collected more than 300 tires. Despite these good efforts, tires keep reappearing on the river. I’m convinced that many of these tires are abandoned on the river by people who are unaware of the negative impact this causes on the aquatic ecosystem." The Little Barren River is a scenic waterway that meanders through three counties in south central Kentucky and empties into the Green River. As such, it is considered part of the Green River Watershed. This watershed provides habitat to more species of plants and animals than any other system of tributaries in the Ohio River Valley. More than 150 species of fish and 70 species of mussels are found in these waters. |