RJ Shelly and his Co-investigators received Over $25 thousand from the Matagorda Bay Mitigation Trust for public education
Port O’Connor, Texas — Texas Sea Grant Calhoun County Marine Extension Agent RJ Shelly and his co-principal investigators Emilee DeForest and Hailey Hayes, of Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, received $25,811 from the Matagorda Bay Mitigation Trust for public education. This is a cooperative project between Texas Sea Grant, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and Texas 4-H in Calhoun County.
The team will use the funds for watershed and waterbody educational programs related to the Lavaca, Matagorda and San Antonio Bay watersheds and ecosystems. Teachers in the area will be offered a free teacher professional development program to learn how to use the watershed education equipment, which they can bring into their classrooms for no cost.
The project will bring hands-on-learning to students to help them understand the relationship between the bay and the surrounding watershed. Shelly says he hopes the project helps students appreciate what is in their own backyard.
The public education fund is one of 15 projects totaling $5.8 million that the Matagorda Bay Mitigation Trust will fund this year. The trust invests in environmental restoration of the Matagorda and San Antonio Bay systems.
Media Contact:
Sara Carney, Communications Manager, Texas A&M University Division of Marketing & Communications, 713-435-9585, scarney@tamu.edu
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Texas Sea Grant is a unique partnership that unites the resources of the federal government, the State of Texas and universities across the state to create knowledge, tools, products and services that benefit the economy, the environment and the citizens of Texas. It is administered through the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and is one of 34 university-based Sea Grant Programs around the country. Texas Sea Grant is a non-academic research center at Texas A&M University. The program’s mission is to improve the understanding, wise use and stewardship of Texas coastal and marine resources.