April - May 2004

Earth Day Every Day at NIEHS

NIEHS Honored – Again

Staff at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences celebrated Earth Day 2004 on April 22, with activities designed to increase awareness of earth-friendly ideas like gardening ideas and tips, a plant exchange, the North Carolina Gourd Society craft display, and ride-sharing and transhare information. But being earth friendly is not a one-day-a-year event at NIEHS.

For the second year, NIEHS has received the Environmental Leadership Award given annually by the Environment@RTP Committee of the Research Triangle Owners and Tenants Association. Accomplishments cited by the judges included:

• Dedicated years of leadership in recycling and waste reduction
• The project underway to construct a self-guided nature trail around the NIEHS lake as part of the wildlife enhancement initiative
• Establishment of the first in-house vermicomposting program
• Achieving a 50 percent recovery of solid waste through reuse and recycling