Special to the Leader

The Shangri La Botanical Gardens and Nature Center was awarded a $5,000 grant from DuPont Sabine River Works in July. The “Clear into the Future®” grants are given to programs that support conservation, restoration, or science-related sustainability efforts in local DuPont communities.

The Clear into the Future® program has awarded competitive grants and sponsorships to universities, non-governmental organizations, conservationists and educators for ten years. Since its inception in 2007, the program has granted more than $2.3 million in support of environmental research, education and conservation. Numerous nominations were submitted from sites around the world; and grants were reviewed and selected using several criteria, including impact on the community.

“Environmental stewardship is one of DuPont’s Core Values, and managing our site to protect the environment and preserve the earth’s natural resources both for today and for generations into the future is a focus for our teams every day” shared Kevin Cadien, Site Manager for DuPont Sabine River Works. “This grant is aligned with our goal of supporting environmental stewardship beyond our fence lines and into the communities in which we operate.”

Shangri La Botanical Gardens and Nature Center is a 252-acre Platinum LEED certified institution dedicated to environmental education, horticulture, sustainable practices, and conservation. The funding granted will complete the third and final phase of restoration in Shangri La’s 3-acre Duck Pond, part of a multi-year water quality improvement demonstration effort launched in 2014 with the nearby 13-acre Ruby Lake. The grant will also sponsor an environmental education program linked to Shangri La’s curriculum-based naturalist-guided school field trip program that will benefit thousands of students long term in Orange county and surrounding communities.

Rick Lewandowski shares, “We value the partnerships that we have been able to sustain in this community and are delighted that the ‘Clear into the Future®’ grant recognized the great work being done by the Shangri La Botanical Gardens and Nature Center to provi