Environmental camps and competitions benefit from funding
Summer camps and Envirothon programs in Haywood, Buncombe and Madison counties will benefit from a $25,000 grant awarded to the Southwestern Resource Conservation and Development Council from the Pigeon River Fund.
The money will support environmental education activities offered by the soil and water conservation districts in each county. Haywood initiated its Youth Environmental Stewardship camp 17 years ago, with Buncombe and Madison starting similar camps in recent years. Envirothon is an environmental competition offered throughout the United States and Canada, providing middle and high school teams a chance to compete in subjects ranging from wildlife to soil and land use. The grant will serve to make these activities affordable for kids of all income levels.
Since its creation in 1996, the Pigeon River Fund has awarded millions of dollars for water conservation and education in Haywood, Buncombe and Madison counties. The money comes from Duke Energy in exchange for the company’s damming the Pigeon River for hydropower the Fund is managed by the Community Foundation of Western North Carolina.
