Jackson Free Press

Entergy Mississippi is offering free money for community development and environmental projects in the state.

Through Entergy's Community Partnership Grants program, non-profit organizations, schools, hospitals, governmental agencies and religious institutions can apply for up to $1,000 for projects addressing education, family health, or arts and culture improvement.

The Environmental Stewardship Grant program offers larger grants, usually between $5,000 and $25,000, to non-profit organizations with projects addressing environmental needs in a sustainable fashion.

The Environmental Stewardship Program is part of a larger environmental initiative by Entergy, called "Generation E." Announced for Earth Day 2007, Generation E encompasses Entergy's efforts on several environmental fronts: reducing greenhouse gas emissions, pursuing "green" power sources and educating the public.

"We're really ramping up our efforts," says Entergy Communications Manager Checky Harrington. "We're already, from a power-plant perspective, making big steps as far as controlling emissions and encouraging other folks to do the same."

In 2001, Entergy was the first utility company in the U.S. to voluntarily reduce greenhouse gas emissions from its power plants. This pledge included the Rex Brown plant in Jackson, as well as four other Mississippi plants: Cleveland, Greenville, Natchez and Vicksburg.

"We've also launched some school programs encouraging young people to change the light bulbs out of their homes," Harrington adds.

Last year's environmental grant recipients include the Greenville Cypress Preserve, the Bear Education and Restoration Group of Mississippi and the Clinton Community Nature Center.

One Jackson-area project funded last year is the Rankin County Environmental Learning Lab, or RCELL, at Camp Wahi in Brandon. Joanne White, a property manager for the Girl Scouts of Middle Mississippi, developed the idea for the lab, and applied for a $10,000 grant from Entergy. When she received the grant, she contacted John Stark, a consultant in environmental education.

"They wanted to bring environmental education to the area, and they wanted to expand the outreach of the Girl Scout camp," Stark says.

He and White began by developing a course in compass use that they offered first to Girl Scout leaders-in-training, then to actual Girl Scout troops. Then they expanded the course to nearby schools, starting with a presentation at Oakdale Elementary School, in Rankin County. The students responded enthusiastically.

"Those kids, once they learned how to use the compass, they begged their teacher, 'Hey, can we go out there?'" Stark recalls.

On the success of the compass course, RCELL is now turning its focus to water quality. Using funds from the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality and the Entergy grant, RCELL will host classes for Rankin County students on measuring differences in water quality.

The deadline for Community Partnership Grants applications is March 10. Organizations should call Checky Harrington at 601-969-2329 or [e-mail missing] for more information. Applications for the Environmental Stewardship Program are due March 31. Questions about the environmental program should be directed to Mara Hartmann, at 601-969-2520 or [e-mail missing]