The Niagara Peninsula Conservation Foundation presented six students from Niagara and Haldimand with $500 education bursaries at a gathering at Ball's Falls Conservation Area in Lincoln Monday morning.
The foundation is the fundraising arm of the NPCA, the authority that manages 41 Conservation Areas within the Niagara Peninsula watershed, holding them in public trust for recreation, heritage preservation, conservation, and education.
The bursaries were initiated a number of years ago by a donation from the Fort Erie Conservation Women’s Auxiliary, They are awarded to secondary school students pursuing post-secondary education in a field relating to conservation, the environment, forestry, natural resources, and/or fish and wildlife.
The recipients and their families gathered inside the Glen Elgin Room at the conservation area, where NPCF development and investor relations officer Sharon Pfeifer welcomed them. With the help of Barbara Greenwood, the NPCF's acting chair, cheques for $500 were presented to:
- Emily Hendrick, Pelham, entering the Fish and Wildlife Technician program at Fleming College
- Dania Lahloub, Haldimand, studying Environmental Sciences at McMaster University
- Campbell Lewis, St. Catharines, enrolled in Environmental Sciences at the University of Guelph
- Isabella Michael, Pelham, studying Urban Planning at York University
- Molly O'Connor, Fort Erie, doing a concurrent Bachelor of Science and Education degree at Queen's University
- Anya Popadinac, Welland, studying Earth Sciences at Brock University
As Pfeifer explained, Michael became the first student to receive an NPCF bursary to study urban planning, but her application outlined a deep commitment to environmental concerns which the selection committee felt was important for municipalities to take into consideration when looking at future development.
Following the presentation of the cheques, NPCA staff led the students, their parents and members of the NPCF board of directors through a tour of the beautiful Ball's Falls Conservation Area.
"These are our leaders of tomorrow," Pfeifer told The Local after the event. "It's important that we support our youth, especially those with a commitment to the environment, because they will be the ones making the decisions years from now."
