NATURE CONSERVANCY SEEKING CREATIVE ENTRIES FOR WATER AWARENESS CONTEST

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


Contact:          Mary Conti, Public Relations Manager

                        mconti@tnc.org

                        Office: (908) 955-0357
  

NATURE CONSERVANCY SEEKING CREATIVE ENTRIES FOR WATER AWARENESS
CONTEST

Conservancy Will Install Two
Community Rain Gardens and Showcase Entries Online

(Chester, N.J.--May XX, 2013) – The Nature Conservancy’s New
Jersey chapter is challenging schools and civic groups in five counties to
“Show Us Your H2O” by submitting creative entries that answer the question “Where
does your water come from?” School groups and tax-exempt community groups from
Hunterdon, Mercer, Morris, Middlesex or Somerset counties can choose various
formats including photo essay, artwork, map, report, or multi-media presentation
for consideration. The contest begins May 8 and has a final deadline of June 8,
2013.

Entries into the contest, which is supported by Johnson
& Johnson through their Foundation, New Brunswick, N.J., will be judged on
originality, content, accuracy, and quality in explaining their water source.
Two winners will be announced on June 17, 2013; select entries will be
showcased on a dedicated web page throughout the summer, and The Nature
Conservancy will install the rain gardens on each winners’ property in the
early fall. 

“Clean water always ranks at the top of the list when it
comes to environmental concerns of New Jersey residents, yet very few of us
actually know where the water we use to bathe, drink, cook and wash with
originates,” says Barbara Brummer, New Jersey State Director for The Nature
Conservancy. “We hope with this contest we can inspire people to investigate, learn
and even educate others about their water source and any stressors it may
face—and to take small personal steps in everyday living that can positively
affect the land around our lakes, rivers and streams.”

Rain gardens are bowl-shaped areas that soak up storm water run-off
from hard surfaces like sidewalks and parking lots, using rainwater to nourish
plants on site, keeping polluted water out of streams and easing potential
flooding downstream. They also replenish groundwater, provide wildlife habitat
and beautify the landscape—most often in populated urban or suburban areas that
need it most. 

“Raising awareness and providing education on clean water
issues contributes to the health and well-being of residents and their
communities,” says Bonnie Petrauskas, Director of Corporate Contributions and
Community Relations of J&J.  “We are pleased to engage youth to think about local water ecology through this
partnership with The Nature Conservancy.”

There is no purchase necessary to participate in the contest.
Complete rules can be found at: www.nature.org/showusyourh2o.

The Nature
Conservancy is the world’s largest nonprofit conservation organization, working
around the globe since 1951 to protect ecologically important lands and waters
for nature and people. We operate in all 50 states and more than 35 countries,
with an approach that is rooted in good science and pursued in a pragmatic
style. In New Jersey, we have protected more than 50,000 acres of vital natural
resources. Our focus in the state is to secure freshwater, restore healthy
coastal environments, safeguard critical lands and reduce impacts of climate
change. For more information about our work in New Jersey, please visit: nature.org/newjersey.

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