Wetland named in honour of Husky and Earth Rangers

The 10th year of Husky Injection Molding Systems Inc. sponsoring the Husky/Earth Rangers Environment Weeks program was celebrated at the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority's Albion Hills Field Centre recently with the unveiling of this plaque. The program involves elementary students making half-week visits to the centre to learn to be environmentally active. Among the special guests were John Galt, president and chief executive officer of Husky, Carine Strong, director of customer relations at Husky, Scott Beffort, vice-president of marketing and development with Earth Rangers, Dick O'Brien, chair of the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority, and Moe Berthiaume, supervisor at the Albion Hills Field Centre.

A formal ceremony was held earlier recently at Toronto and Region Conservation's (TRCA) Albion Hills Field Centre south of Palgrave to honour Husky Injection Molding Systems Ltd. and Earth Rangers for their help in educating children on the environment.

Husky, under the direction of The Schad Foundation/Earth Rangers, has given more than $620,000 to support the Husky/Earth Rangers Environmental Weeks program at Albion Hills.

Since 1996, more than 5,300 elementary students from five district school boards have participated in the Environmental Weeks program at Albion Hills. These students helped mark the recent ceremony honouring Husky and Earth Rangers.

"The Husky/Earth Rangers Environmental Weeks is the kind of unique nature education program that provides students with lifelong memories in learning about their environment and ways to be responsible for it," said Alex Trkulja, a teacher at the Allan Drive Middle School in Bolton whose Grade 6 students have participated in the program for the past 5 years.

"We believe that the key to reducing our ecological footprint lies with our children and see our contribution as an investment in their future," said Carine Strong, director of customer relations at Husky, a world leader in injection molding equipment that has made a firm commitment to social and environmental responsibility. "I've seen first-hand how this program inspires youth with a passion to respect their environment."

Since 1996, more than 5,300 elementary students from five district school boards have participated in the Environmental Weeks program at Albion Hills. Students spend two and a half days getting hands-on environmental training, learning about ecology and working on projects to enhance the local environment. At the conclusion of the program, each student pledges to take these experiences

and apply them in their homes, schools and communities.

"A majority of Environmental Weeks students come back to us months later to report that they've kept their pledge to live a more earth-friendly lifestyle," said Brian Denney, CAO, TRCA. "This kind of sustainable thinking amongst our youth is greatly enhanced by the support of Husky, Earth Rangers and Robert Schad."

Earth Rangers is a nonprofit educational organization founded by former Husky CEO Robert Schad who also founded The Schad Foundation. Earth Rangers' mission is to inspire children with a lasting passion to build a better future. TRCA's educational commitment spans 50 years, with programs to connect learners to their environment through fun and meaningful, handson exploration of local environmental systems. The organization's Albion Hills Field Centre is the first of its kind in North America to provide leadership in outdoor environmental education for children, youth and adults.

At last month's ceremony at Albion Hills, a recently

restored area of the Centreville Creek was officially named "The Husky/Earth Rangers Wetland" to honour the organizations' support for the children's program. The renaturalization of this wetland area has already resulted in habitat support for the

American toad, green frog and leopard frog tadpoles, Monarch butterflies, songbirds and a diversity of native plants. During the ceremony, Husky/Earth Rangers pledged an additional $98,000 to support the program in the 2006/2007 school year.