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1
SENATE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, Operation Endangered Species seeks to address the
3recognized needs of all State agencies, as well as the plight
4of organisms threatened with extinction through the
5empowerment of students in classrooms across the State to
6cooperate, collaborate, and create a template which reaches
7across many disciplines, easily adapts to any endangered
8species, and creates a curriculum template for giving students
9the tools to take action; and
 
10    WHEREAS, Operation Endangered Species' mission is to
11engineer innovated education techniques to better educate
12students in order to protect and bring back endangered species;
13and
 
14    WHEREAS, Operation Endangered Species was founded and
15established in 2011 at Pontiac Township High School; the
16program is currently in 11 schools with over 1,000 students;
17the organization started with 4 Alligator Snapping Turtles and
18now has 17; Mr. Ritter and Mr. Soares, along with their
19students, plan to have 5,000 turtles by 2021; and
 
20    WHEREAS, Pontiac Township High School has been aided by a
21generous support donation from the State Farm Youth Advisory
22Board, Illinois State University, the Illinois Department of

 

 

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1Natural Resources, and Tetra-Fauna for donating supplies and
2food for the Alligator Snapping Turtles; Dr. Brady Barr from
3National Geographic is also recognized for inspiring the
4project and for bestowing knowledge of endangered species; and
 
5    WHEREAS, Article XI, Section I of the Constitution of the
6State of Illinois states: "The public policy of the State and
7the duty of each person is to provide and maintain a helpful
8environment for the benefit of this and future generations";
9Section II of the Constitution states that "each person has the
10right to a healthful environment. Each person may enforce this
11right against any party, governmental or private, through
12appropriate legal proceedings subject to reasonable limitation
13and regulation as the General Assembly may provide by law"; and
 
14    WHEREAS, Operation Endangered Species remains true to this
15plan and is continuing to expand; students are participating in
16the saving of a species and taking advantage of their right to
17improve the environment and their communities; therefore, be it
 
18    RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-EIGHTH GENERAL
19ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we designate the date
20of March 20, 2014 as Endangered Species Day in the State of
21Illinois in hopes to gain national awareness for all endangered
22species; and be it further
 

 

 

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1    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
2presented to Operation Endangered Species at Pontiac Township
3High School.