Joe Manchin III, Governor

Frank Jezioro, Director

News Release : December 1, 2005

Hoy Murphy, Public Information Officer (304) 558-3380 hoymurphy@wvdnr.gov

Contact: Dawn Hale, Wildlife Resources Section (304) 637-0254 wildlife@wvdnr.gov

WVDNR Wildlife Diversity Program Offers Awards

For School Science Projects

  West Virginia middle and high school students who are interested in frogs, turtles, salamanders, insects, mice, minnows, song birds, small mammals, and other nongame animals can compete for prizes at science fairs throughout the state this school year. The West Virginia Division of Natural Resources (DNR) announced that it will once again sponsor awards for outstanding science projects that feature nongame wildlife. These annual awards will be available only at regional and state level science fairs.

  “ West Virginia 's scholastic science fairs offer a great opportunity for the youth of our state to get involved, not only with science, but with our state's wildlife resources as well,” said Curtis I. Taylor, Chief of the DNR Wildlife Resources Section. “I hope to see many of our young people compete for prizes in nongame wildlife related categories this year.”

  Awards will consist of a $25 cash prize and a certificate issued by the DNR for both the senior high and middle school biological science divisions. Both individual and group projects will be eligible for the awards. Eligible projects must address some aspect of the biology of any of the state's native nongame wildlife species.

  Projects with game animals (those that are hunted, fished, or trapped) as well as with domestic animals or plants are not eligible for these prizes.

  Regional science fair directors need to submit a required form to the DNR. For information on what types of projects might qualify, write to Nongame Science Fair Awards, West Virginia Wildlife Diversity Program, P.O. Box 67 , Elkins , West Virginia 26241 , or call 304-637-0245 or email: dawnhale@wvdnr.gov .

**DNR**