Dear CERES supporters, News Release Contact: Michael Holland, PhD/CERES 336-376-9322 or dr_mike@mindspring.com Park and Recreation Stream Program Receives Hands-On Support Coalition Stream Buffer Strategy to be Implemented in Trial Site at Cedarock Park Saxapahaw, NC November 4, 2004 -- CERES announced today the new Park and Recreation Stream Program will receive hands-on assistance from the Haw River Assembly (HRA), during their annual meeting on November 6. Volunteers from the HRA, in partnership with the Alamance County Recreation & Parks Department, will help establish this program's first Stream Buffer Demonstration Project along Rock Creek in Cedarock Park. They will begin the creek-side planting this year, and add to it in future years until the entire site is restored. Native shrubs, trees and other plants are being purchased from Cure Nursery and Mellowmarsh Nursery, who offered special pricing to help support this program. In an invitation to their volunteers, Elaine Chiosso, Executive Director of the HRA, referred to this as an opportunity to, "Give future visitors a place to see the beauty and benefits of a natural wetland." In addition to the field work, at 3:30 the HRA will host Keynote speaker, Dr. David McNaught, the first director of the NC Clean Water Management Trust Fund. He is now Senior Policy Analyst with the Environmental Defense in NC, and co-author of Riparian Buffers, Common Sense Protection of North Carolina's Water. Additional Stream Buffer Demonstration Projects are planned for creeks located in parks, in both Burlington and Graham. Park officials, from both departments, will be available to answer questions, at 3:15, at the Cedarock Park Center. Commenting on the projected success of this program, Melody Wiggins, Director of Graham Recreation & Parks, said "Graham is pleased to join our recreation and parks partners to be a part of this vital new program to protect our stream buffers. It is essential to our community that we all work together to protect our water quality." About the Park and Recreation Stream Program The Parks and Recreation Stream Program was developed by Tony Laws, Director of Burlington Recreation & Parks, Melody Wiggins, Director of Graham Recreation & Parks, Houston Sally, Director of Alamance County Recreation and Parks and Mike Holland, Ph.D., V.P. of BioQuest Marketing and Business Development, representing CERES. The goal of this program is to improve the quality of life in our county by providing cleaner creeks, new animal habitat, and protected trail corridors, while at the same time saving our parks a significant amount of money spent on grounds maintenance. This program will provide a year round public education tool, demonstrating how we can all participate in protecting our County's greatest natural resource; the Haw River. The hope is that our citizen's will take our Parks Director's lead, and protect their own backyard creek and stream banks, with less mowing, less fertilizer and more vegetation. About CERES The Coalition for Environmental Responsibility and Education through Synergy can be found at www.alamancecounty.org. The goals of CERES are: * Provide a community space for diverse groups and organizations to work together in coordination, to address regional environmental issues that have a direct impact on quality of life in the Haw River watershed. * Serve our community by providing hands-on educational programs, encouraging students to gain an intimate knowledge of environmental issues that affect the Haw River watershed. * Serve as a conduit, through CERES affiliated organizations, to provide information on environmental issues to local agencies, municipalities and media outlets in the Haw River Watershed.