Friends of Hunting Island State Park receives Earth Day award
Friends of Hunting Island State Park receives Earth Day award
Friends of Hunting Island State Park, Inc. (FOHI) has been singled out for its anti-litter events and companion environmental education and stewardship programs during 2009. The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (SCDHEC) awarded its 2010 DHEC Earth Day Award to the organization.
The award was presented by SCDHEC’s Commissioner C. Earl Hunter at the April 14 awards presentation ceremony at SCDHEC’s headquarters in Columbia. FOHI representatives, pictured above, were former litter control board member, Karen Whitehead, who was instrumental in implementing the anti-litter programs on Hunting Island; current litter control board member, Vicki Anne Nestor; FOHI president, Bonnie Wright; and Hunting Island State Park ranger, Ben Holmes.
In each of the past 15 years FOHI has conducted major spring and fall clean-ups at Hunting Island State Park. During 2009 a record 373 volunteers retrieved more than 1,000 pounds of trash from the beach, lagoon and trails, and an additional 4,000 pounds of cabin debris. This unusual cabin debris was the result of the collapse of several beachfront cabins due to ocean erosion.
Lending major support to FOHI members were several youth groups who return each year to help. These groups included Wade-Hampton High School, Junior Navy ROTC students, the Interact community service group of high school students, and several Boy Scout troops and Cub Scout packs. Also returning were members of The Rotary Club of the Lowcountry who grilled hamburgers and hotdogs for the hard working volunteers..
Other FOHI environmental stewardship programs recognized by the Earth Day awards committee included the monofilament recycle program, “dogi pot” dispenser bags for park visitors with pets, and the educational outreach of environmental awareness through the FOHI booth at annual community Earth Day celebrations.
The judges also evaluated applicants on how they embodied the spirit of Earth Day. On a day-to-day basis, the Friends of Hunting Island State Park’s nearly 800 member families promote environmental stewardship through activities at the state park, community outreach programs and monetary contributions to the park’s projects.
During 2009 FOHI hit a new record of 12,130 hours dedicated to helping Hunting Island’s park management and staff enrich the park experience to more than 1.2 million visitors annually.
To read more about FOHI’s award-winning projects or to find out more about FOHI go to its website at www.friends-of-hunting-island-sc.org.
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- Pelican Plunge today at Hunting Island
- Hunting Island 150th anniversary lighthouse celebration features 5K run & walk
- Pelican Plunge coming January 1 to Hunting Island
- Hunting Island threatened with devastating erosion
- April 16-18: Zero Tolerance for Litter Weekend
