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Gulf Power employees join E. O. Wilson Biophilia Center for Earth Day workday
Gulf Power Media Advisory — April 12, 2018 Gulf Power employees join E. O. Wilson Biophilia Center for Earth Day workday WHAT: In celebration of Earth Day, Gulf Power employees will be joining the E. O. Wilson Biophilia Center in Freeport to help spruce up the facility and conduct trail maintenance. WHEN: 10 to noon, Thursday, April 19. WHERE: E. O. Wilson Biophilia Center, 4956 State Highway 20 east, Freeport, Florida. WHY: The Biophilia Center is one of the nonprofits Gulf Power’s Environmental Stewardship team supports because of its core mission: to educate students and visitors on the importance of biodiversity, to promote sustainability, and to encourage conservation, preservation, and restoration of ecosystems. WHO: Gulf Power employees will join the Biophilia Center staff for a volunteer workday, led by our Environmental Affairs Stewardship coordinator, Jeff Cole. Members of the media interested in attending the April 19 event should contact Rick DelaHaya, Media Relations specialist, at 850-444-3205 or rdelahay@southernco.com, by 2 p.m., Tuesday, April, 17.
Gulf Power employees celebrate Earth Day 2018 by supporting environmental projects Conservation is very much a part of Gulf Power employees’ DNA, whether conducting prescribed burns to mimic the benefits of natural fires for longleaf pine forests, monitoring shorebird nests, rebuilding oyster beds, picking up trash along beaches and waterways or maintaining public hiking trails through preservation areas. In celebration of Earth Day this year, employees will be spreading out across the service footprint to clean up areas of Pensacola Beach and Okaloosa Island and enhance access to a public trail and to talk to the public about Gulf Power’s renewable energy sources and energy efficiency programs. “Gulf Power employees will be investing their time and talents on Earth Day, just as they do throughout the year, improving our natural resources and access to them, so they’ll be in better shape for future generations,” said Kimberly Blair, Gulf Power spokesperson. “After all, our employees and customers live, work and play in one of the most biologically diverse regions in the country.” On April 19, a team of employees will join the staff at the E. O. Wilson Biophilia Center on a 50,000-acre conservation land on the Nokuse Plantation in South Walton County to help with facility and trail maintenance as a way to support the important mission of the center. Located on one of the nation’s ecological gems, a Longleaf Pine ecosystem considered the 6th most biodiverse area in the continental country, the Biophilia Center serves as a hands-on, environmental science classroom for five surrounding school districts — Okaloosa, Walton, Bay, Holmes, and Washington. During the school year, more than 6,000 students annually, about 100 students a day, converge on the center for STEM-based curriculum.
“When you combine education and the environment, you can bet our Gulf Power Environmental Stewardship team wants to be involved,” Blair said. “That’s why the team has been volunteering at the Biophilia Center for a number of years, repairing boardwalks, painting picnic tables, building a fence and clearing out overgrown vegetation along with other projects to make sure the center’s staff can focus on fostering future conservationists.”
Gulf Power employees will also participate in Earth Day events such as Earth Day Gallery Night in downtown Pensacola where the public is invited to stop by our Solar-Powered Charging Station and charge up their smartphones. Teammates will also be showcasing our renewable energy sources and stewardship program. Copies of “Our Promise” magazine that details our environmental stewardship efforts will be on hand.
Gulf Power also has a long history of investing in environmental stewardship throughout Northwest Florida. Since 2003, Gulf Power has supported millions of dollars in grants with its parent company Southern Company through the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation’s Five Star and Urban Waters Restoration Program, Gulf Coast Conservation Grant, Longleaf Stewardship Fund and Bats for the Future Fund, to restore longleaf pine ecosystems, water restoration projects and recovery efforts of endangered species. Gulf Power employees also provide hundreds of volunteer hours and their expertise in supporting these projects. Learn more about our environmental stewardship in “Our Promise.” #### Gulf Power is an investor-owned energy provider with all of its common stock owned by Atlanta-based Southern Company. Gulf Power serves more than 460,000 customers in eight counties throughout Northwest Florida. The company’s mission is to safely provide exceptional customer value by delivering reliable, affordable and environmentally responsible electricity while strengthening our communities. Visit online at MyGulfPower.com or on the company’s Facebook, Instagram and Twitter pages. News information can be found at GulfPowerNews.com.
Media Relations 850-444-3205, cell 318-294-2338 Media Relations 850-444-6050, cell 850-206-5132 Media Relations 850-444-6320, cell 850-525-7510 |