CONTACT:
Teresa Mitchell, Education Director
Vermont Institute of Natural Science (VINS)
802-359-5001, x236
tmitchell@vinsweb.org
www.vinsweb.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Vermont Institute of Natural Science and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Announce Exciting New Environmental Education Partnership

Quechee, VT - February 18, 2009 - VINS and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced today that they have entered into a cooperative agreement under which they will work together to develop and deliver programs and exhibits highlighting the array of wildlife and habitats found on the Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge and their conservation efforts. USFWS will display traveling exhibits depicting the Conte Refuge's habitats and management programs at the VINS Nature Center in Quechee several times each year. VINS and USFWS environmental educators also will work together to interpret and bring these exhibits and complementary education programs to the public in communities around New England and at the VINS Nature Center.

The Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge was established in 1997 to conserve, protect and enhance the abundance and diversity of native plant, fish and wildlife species and the ecosystems on which they depend throughout the 7.2 million acre Connecticut River watershed. The watershed covers large areas of Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts and Connecticut.

"In administering the Refuge, USFWS works in partnership with a wide variety of individuals and organizations to provide environmental education and encourage and support habitat conservation," commented Andrew French, Project Leader of the Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge. "We are delighted to join forces with VINS' excellent team of environmental educators to extend the reach and impact of our public programs."

"VINS' new collaboration with USFWS will demonstrate how two organizations with a common interest in caring for the environment can have a much larger impact working together than either could have alone," stated John Dolan, VINS president. "We are excited about the many possibilities for reaching new audiences throughout the region that our partnership creates."

Founded in 1972, VINS is a nonprofit environmental education and research organization based in Quechee, Vermont. VINS' mission is to motivate individuals and communities to care for the environment through education, research, and avian wildlife rehabilitation