New plate creates nest egg for eco-education

PAWTUCKET – A new environmental education license plate was unveiled this afternoon by the Audubon Society of Rhode Island and Save The Bay in a ceremony at the Boys & Girls Club of Pawtucket. The design features the image of a nesting osprey, along with the motto “Conservation through Education.”
“The Audubon Society and Save The Bay are two of the state’s most important environmental organizations,” said Senate Majority Leader M. Teresa Paiva-Weed, D-Newport and Jamestown. “I am proud to have been a co-sponsor of the legislation which will enable Rhode Islanders to proudly display their support of environmental protection.”
“Rhode Island’s natural resources are one of the state’s best features, from the beautiful beaches that line our coastline, to the dense forests that provide homes for countless species of wildlife,” added Sen. John J. Tassoni Jr., D-North Smithfield and Smithfield, noting: “By purchasing this special license plate, Rhode Islanders can show their support for protecting the environment while giving these organizations funds to continue doing the crucial work they do.”
For each osprey plate purchased by a Rhode Island driver, $20 will go to support environmental education programs in schools across the state.
In passing the enabling legislation last year, the General Assembly “challenges Rhode Islanders to invest in the future,” Save The Bay Executive Director Curt Spalding declared. “Purchasing the plate helps give Audubon and Save The Bay the means to help students discover the wonders of the Bay and its watershed.”
The new license plates can be purchased online via Save The Bay (www.SavetheBay.org) or the Audubon Society (www.ASRI.org), for $40 more than a regular plate. Of that one-time premium, $10 goes to the environmental education programs at Save The Bay and another $10 to those at Audubon, while the remaining $20 goes to the R.I. Division of Motor Vehicles.
“Environmental education has been a foundation of the Audubon’s mission since the 1950s,” noted ASRI Executive Director Lawrence J.F. “Larry” Taft, “and now we teach more than 33,000 children annually about the natural world.
“We view this special license plate as a means for Audubon – and our colleagues at Save The Bay – to teach future generations sound environmental stewardship,” Taft said. “Our thanks to Senators Paiva-Weed and Tassoni, Rep. [Eileen S.] Naughton and all members of the General Assembly for their assistance with this unique project.”
Added Spalding: “With better knowledge – with opportunities such as our shipboard, shoreline and saltmarsh programs – [students] make themselves dedicated guardians of the environment. Environmental education connects kids to the world around them, affirms their desire to live on a healthier planet and inspires them to take action that will make a difference.”
Save The Bay, founded in 1970, is a nonprofit education and advocacy organization, dedicated to improving our state’s our economy, environment and quality of life by protecting, restoring and exploring the Narragansett Bay and its watershed. To learn more, visit www.SavetheBay.org.
The Audubon Society of Rhode Island is an independent nonprofit environmental organization – with 17,000 members and supporters across the state – dedicated to environmental education, advocacy and conservation. The ASRI also owns or protects more than 9,500 acres of woodlands and coastal property. For additional information, visit www.ASRI.org.