What's new!!! Please visit our Donate you car to charity section NEWS Updates in our Press release section.

Environmental Protection Agency’s Environmental Educator Award for 2004

LifeWise Community Press Releases: May 7, 2004

ROCHESTER — Bruce A. Montville EE started crisscrossing the state five years ago on a mission to show students how the water system they need for life works and teach why it needs to be protected.

Now he is one of the top educators in New England when it comes to drinking water, recently receiving the Environmental Protection Agency’s Environmental Educator Award for 2004.

The president and CEO of Barrington-based LifeWise Community Projects has been on a recruiting mission each week during the school year, using education and visual demonstrations to create "Future Water Guardians." He reconstructs the working watershed, using table-size models to show how water and pollution flow from different sources into bodies of water and through the ground into wells.

Those visual demonstrations, coupled with a lesson detailing the water cycle, groundwater flow, and sources of pollution, made him more than worthy of the recognition.

"He’s just a remarkable guy," said Al Wong a specialist with the EPA’s drinking water program. "His credentials are quite impressive. He’s become a familiar face at drinking water events in New Hampshire."

Though Wong said he never met Montville in person, the information included in his nomination made him stand out as more than worthy of the award.

Montville could not be reached in time to comment on the award, but has said at several school presentations that his goal with the program is simply to educate students, allowing them to make more informed decisions when it comes to their water.

Montville was nominated for the award by Nicole Clegg, the education coordinator for the Department of Environmental Services. In her recommendation letter, she detailed Montville’s efforts to recruit volunteers, his personal effort to maintain a key role in the program, "Future Water Guardians of New Hampshire," and to make the program more effective through teacher evaluations.

"I have known Bruce for close to six years and have been continually impressed by his dedication to education," she said, "and his passion for helping students understand the role they play in protecting New Hampshire’s drinking water resources."

The award program is now in its tenth year, Wong said, with the goal of recognizing educators and developing relationships between them and water suppliers to further educate students about drinking water. Nominations typically involve teachers, but individuals from water systems, government agencies, or drinking water organizations can also receive a nomination.

By DAMIAN J. TROISE
Democrat Staff Writer

Bruce A. Montville EE
President & CEO