Coastal Conservation Association (CCA)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 1, 2009
CONTACT: Ted Venker, 1-800-201-FISH

Texas Outdoor Writers Recognize CCA/Valero Youth Program
CCA Program sponsored by Valero Energy Corp. seeks to bring marine conservation to kids.

HOUSTON, TX - The Texas Outdoor Writers Association (TOWA) selected the CCA/Valero Rising Tide youth program as the winner of its Special Projects/Conservation award at its 2009 annual convention. At a time when far more kids are texting than casting, the recognition by Texas outdoor writers emphasizes just how critical the need is to get students more involved in protecting the marine environment. CCA and Valero Energy Corp combined efforts to create this multi-media youth outreach and education program.

“Other than teachers, perhaps no one knows better than outdoor writers how difficult it is these days to get kids thinking about the world beyond their cell phones and video games,” said Patrick Murray, CCA executive vice president. “We are honored that TOWA recognized how valuable this program is to getting the next generation ready to assume its role as stewards of our marine resources. The beautiful thing about this program is that it can be accessed so many ways. With the newsletter, website and conservation lesson plan, we are able to bring the message of marine conservation and education to a wide variety of children in an even wider variety of locations.”

CCA and Valero Energy Corp. teamed up in 2007 to promote conservation education and ethics in young anglers through the Rising Tide program. Valero’s generous support allowed CCA to devote more resources to the youth program than ever before, with particular attention given to the development of a newsletter, youth webpage and marine conservation lesson plan that has been made available to junior high school teachers, summer camps and home school programs. Through the lesson plan, students are tasked with identifying conservation problems in the marine environment, researching them, and most importantly, creating solutions to solve them.

“We wanted to build on the fact that kids are capable of doing amazing things right now and develop a program that would tap into that potential,” said Murray. “Making students and others aware of the conservation challenges that face our bays and oceans and helping them be part of the solution lays the foundation for a lifetime of conservation. We are fortunate to have a partner in Valero that is committed to educating youth about conservation and coastal responsibility.”

For more information about the Rising Tide program or a free copy of the Rising Tide newsletter or lesson plan, educators are encouraged to contact Patrick Murray at ccantl@joincca.org.