International Paper Land Gift Enhances Clemson’s Adair Environmental Learning Center
MEMPHIS, Tenn., March 19 /PRNewswire/ — International Paper donated 71 acres of forestland to Clemson University’s Adair Environmental Learning Center in Laurens County, S.C., to support youth environmental education programs.
(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20020701/IPLOGO )
“This gift is a valuable addition to the Adair Environmental Learning Center,” said Stassen Thompson, land management director for Clemson Public Service Activities. “It brings the total property to 589 acres of hardwood and pine forests, as well as more than a mile of frontage on the Reedy River.”
Environmental education programs on the property would be offered by Clemson’s Youth Learning Institute. Proposed programs focus on experiential learning, using outdoor adventures to teach life skills such as peer mediation, diversity, leadership, character building and leisure skills. These programs also would develop an awareness and sense of responsibility for the natural environment.
“Instilling environmental awareness in young people has always been a high priority for International Paper,” said Dr. Sharon Haines, International Paper’s director of sustainable forestry and forest policy. “We are very pleased to donate this land to Clemson so future generations can become good stewards of our natural resources. And, because we managed the property in a sustainable manner, its biodiversity will provide an excellent outdoor learning environment for children.”
Currently, watershed education programs for middle school teachers are conducted on the Reedy River by Clemson’s Water Resources Center. The program, designed to restore and protect water quality, is funded through the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources and a donation by International Paper.
As additional funding becomes available from multiple sources, the university will expand its environmental education programs. Future plans envision construction of cabins, a dining hall, a multi-purpose building, nature trails, recreational areas, shelters, lakes, an adventure course and access roads.
About International Paper
Headquartered in the United States, International Paper has been a leader in the forest products industry for more than 100 years. The company is currently transforming its operations to focus on its global uncoated papers and packaging businesses, which operate and serve customers in the U.S., Europe, Latin America and Asia, as well as xpedx, an extensive North American merchant distribution system. International Paper is committed to environmental, economic and social sustainability, and has a long-standing policy of using no wood from endangered forests. To learn more, visit http://www.internationalpaper.com/.
Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20020701/IPLOGOAP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org/PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com
International Paper
CONTACT: For Clemson University: Stassen Thomson, +1-864-656-1287,sthmpson@clemson.edu, and Debbie Dalhouse, +1-864-656-6737,ddalhou@clemson.edu; International Paper: Amy Sawyer, +1-901-419-4312,amy.sawyer@ipaper.com
Web site: http://www.internationalpaper.com/