By Special to the Town Crier

Environmental Volunteers (EV), a Palo Alto-based non-profit organization whose mission is to provide hands-on natural science education to schoolchildren, has received a $100,000 grant from the David and Lucile Packard Foundation.

The organization, celebrating its 30th anniversary, teaches more than 10,000 K-8 grade students in Santa Clara and San Mateo counties each year and provides professional development for teachers throughout California.

“This grant will allow us to begin our fourth decade of excellence - teaching children to love and respect the environment,” said Allan Berkowitz, executive director of EV. “It will ensure that we can provide natural science programs to over 20,000 Bay Area children during the next two years.”

“The Packard Foundation is proud to support the important work of Environmental Volunteers within the community of grade school children and their parents,” said Jeanne Sedgwick, Packard Foundation’s director of conservation. “The Packard Foundation is aware of the significant impact EV has had over the last 30 years connecting children with nature. We believe, as does the EV, that children who love and understand the natural world and natural science will be good future caretakers of our environment.”

EV relies on a well-trained group of 180 volunteers who conduct school presentations and field trips to local preserves. The program is so popular that even with an active volunteer group, they must turn away many requests for services by teachers each year.

To boost its program, EV offers new docent training annually. This year’s multisubject training began last month and continues Wednesdays 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. through Dec. 12. A single-subject training course in earthquake geology and preparedness is offered 6-9:30 p.m., Tuesday and Oct. 16 and 18, and 9 a.m. to noon, Oct. 20. No prior experience is necessary.

For more information, call Hillary Lennard 961-0545 ext. 336 or logon to www.Evols.org.