BETHLEHEM, Pa. — Four Lehigh Valley environmental education projects have been awarded state grants as part of a $1 million effort to promote environmental education and stewardship across Pennsylvania.

“These projects help connect people to the ways we can protect the air we breathe and the water we drink,” state Department of Environmental Protection Acting Secretary Jessica Shirley said in a Thursday news release.

“And many of them encourage learning at any age, whether you’re a kid or an adult.

“Every grant we are awarding supports educational opportunities and will further improve people’s connections to their environment.”

Lehigh Valley grants

The Lehigh County Conservation District was awarded $4,969 for a project titled “Orefield Middle School Outdoor Experience.”

Plans include outdoor activities and experience for seventh graders, including investigations, interdisciplinary lessons, stream monitoring and data collection.

Wildlands Conservancy was awarded funding for two projects — $4,994 for its “Clean Water Connections: Exploring Watersheds by Trail” program and $22,194 for the “Environmentor: Climate Change in Our Watershed” project.

The former “will integrate biking and boating to deliver the commonwealth’s [Science, Technology & Engineering, Environmental Literacy & Sustainability] standards-based programming,” according to the release.

The latter involves high School students serving as EnvironMentors for middle school students. In addition, teachers will be trained on managing vermiculture composting units.

The Nurture Nature Center was the only Northampton County project to be awarded funding this round.

The center got $29,983 for a project called “Connecting Climate Change and Agriculture: Programming to Increase Knowledge of Local Foods and Regenerative Agriculture.”

It includes youth, adults and growers engaging in hands-on activities and demonstrations.

Statewide awards

Sixty-eight projects across the commonwealth received funding, according to the release.

“The Environmental Education Grants program prioritizes proposals that will deliver meaningful environmental education programs to people who live, work, or attend school in areas of the commonwealth often most threatened by climate change, and air and water pollution,” officials said.

“This year, 87 percent of the awarded projects will support projects that engage youth and/or adults within such areas.”

During the last round, 56 projects across the commonwealth received funding, including two in the Lehigh Valley.

For more information on the state Department of Environmental Protection’s Environmental Education Grant program, go to the agency’s website.