Photo By Petty Officer 2nd Class Scott Wood | 180419-N-KH214-0071 OAK HARBOR, Wash. (April 19, 2018) Chris Taylor, installation...... read more read more
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OAK HARBOR, Wash. – Naval Air Station (NAS) Whidbey Island celebrated Earth Day Thursday, April 19 in effort to demonstrate support to the local environment.
Earth Day is an annual event celebrated worldwide with various events organized to encourage and generate continuing support for environmental protection.
NAS Whidbey Island began the scheduled day with a base-wide trash clean-up with special emphasis on Cliffside Park, maintaining the local beach.
The Earth Day tradition of planting a tree was also realized later in the morning as numerous Sailors gathered for the planting of a white flowering dogwood tree near the air station’s skate park and across the road from the barracks.
“I like to think about all the benefits it will bring to this environment.” Stated Jon Hill, the environmental protection assistant for NAS Whidbey Island. “It will give shade to the people walking on the sidewalk and sitting on the park benches. It’s funny to think that in 20 years some new Sailor walking down the street or driving to the barracks is going to see this beautiful flowering white tree and might be a little more brightened by it.”
Capt. Geoffrey Moore, commanding officer, NAS Whidbey Island, and Oak Harbor Mayor Robert Severns also attended the tree planting ceremony and helped to cover the ground around the newly planted tree with fresh soil and compost.
“I’m proud of our environmental division and everything that we do, and the Navy has recognized us with at least four awards over the last two years which is pretty incredible.” Said Moore, while delivering a speech at the event. “It’s important to protect our natural resources, environmental resources and really know and understand these and how we can be compatible with our operations out there.”
The next event on the agenda was a competitive dumpster dive held in the parking lot at the Nor’ Western facility on base. One of the large metal dumpsters normally located at the barracks had been transported to the parking lot accompanied with numerous smaller bins allocated for each team participating in the dumpster dive competition.
Each team was responsible for taking trash out of the large dumpster and sorting real trash from recyclables that had been mistakenly thrown in with the trash. Whichever team properly sorted the most recyclable material from the trash won the event and was awarded an honorary recyclable metal pig trophy, kept for a year until the next annual dumpster dive on Earth Day.
Before the event, Michael Grant, the integrated solid waste operations manager for NAS Whidbey Island, spoke, giving the premise and background of the event.
“NAS Whidbey Island has ben proactive in recycling. Last year, we averaged about 72% diversion rate from our solid waste. I always believed if we can get into the nineties then we’re rocking. We won’t get there without your help. So we use the dumpster dive as a sort of training event for our Navy personnel to see how much recyclables are still with the trash that should be recycled.”
The team from Morale Welfare and Recreation won the event and were bestowed the metal pig trophy. The immediate area surrounding the event was also set up for a community barbecue and informational displays from local environmental awareness programs.
Coinciding with Earth Day’s events on NAS Whidbey Island, the air station was also presented a large check from the Puget Sound Energy team, totaling at a sum of $490,000 based upon the money the air station earned in rebates, grants and incentives. Capt. Moore was presented the check.
Earth Day’s events were concluded with the community barbecue after a full day dedicated to raising environmental support and awareness.
“It’s a Navy goal, it’s a world goal. We’re trying to reduce our footprint and be kind to the environment,” summarized Grant.
| Date Taken: | 04.19.2018 |
| Date Posted: | 04.20.2018 12:57 |
| Story ID: | 273766 |
| Location: | OAK HARBOR, WASHINGTON, US |
| Web Views: | 271 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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