HR1143 98TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR1143 LRB098 21482 MST 59994 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives are pleased to congratulate Elgin High School teacher Deb Perryman on receiving the 2014 Environmental Educator of the Year award from the Environmental Education Association of Illinois; and

WHEREAS, Deb Perryman was recognized for implementing environmental education in and out of the classroom, including using the 35 acres of natural space outside of Elgin High School as an instructional tool; and

WHEREAS, Deb Perryman and her students spearheaded an advocacy campaign about Miss Martha, the last Passenger Pigeon on Earth, to promote protecting biodiversity; the campaign resulted in Governor Pat Quinn naming September 2014, the "Month of the Passenger Pigeon"; her students are also working on securing a national proclamation about Miss Martha from President Obama; with her help, Elgin High environmental students are organizing a National Biodiversity Teach-In to honor the 100th anniversary of Miss Martha's death; as part of the program, professionals from across the country will present webinars focused on biodiversity topics including protecting Blanding's turtles, the impact of balloons and plastics in the ocean, GMO's effect on biodiversity, monarch butterflies, shore birds, native plants, and more; and

WHEREAS, With the help of the Elgin Sustainability Commission and other local organizations, Deb Perryman and her students also helped inspire the first Elgin Water Day in 2013, with a formal proclamation issued by Elgin Mayor Dave Kaptain; the Elgin Water Day art show and 6K Walk for Water were extremely successful and students are planning the second Elgin Water Day for this October; and

WHEREAS, In 2003, Deb Perryman's students helped her author the BP Leader Award which earned a $30,000 grant and an additional $10,000 the following year; the grant paid for various environmental projects including transportation for students to participate in the Mighty Acorns program that provides field trips to nature centers; it also paid for boots, nets, and aquatic chemical test kits for students to monitor the health of Poplar Creek, and pelts, skulls, and track and wildlife cameras for mammal studies; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-EIGHTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate Elgin High School teacher Deb Perryman on receiving the 2014 Environmental Educator of the Year award; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Deb Perryman as an expression of our esteem and respect.