Beautiful places across South Carolina will benefit from nearly $500,000 from Duke Energy

GREENVILLE, S.C., Nov. 13, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The Duke Energy Foundation is investing nearly $500,000 in 14 South Carolina environmental nonprofit organizations.

The grants will fund environmental projects, wildlife conservation efforts and environmental educational programs across the Duke Energy service territory in the state.

"We are dedicated to protecting the natural beauty of South Carolina and being good stewards of the environment," said Kodwo Ghartey-Tagoe, Duke Energy's South Carolina president. "By supporting the organizations that do this honorable work, we can help protect and restore wildlife and natural resources, and support quality environmental education programs in our state."

One of the grants, totaling more than $44,000, will help TreesGreenville coordinate five tree giveaways that help educate homeowners on the right place and right tree to plant in order to improve energy savings.

"Thanks to the Duke Energy Foundation, we're promoting tree planting and protecting a healthy community forest," said Joelle Teachy, executive director of TreesGreenville.  "Together, we're giving away trees that are saving energy, improving air quality and providing public health benefits."

Another grant, totaling $10,000, will help Kalmia Gardens in Hartsville, S.C., bring Pee Dee area school children to the banks of the Black Creek for hands-on environmental education classes to give each of them an introduction to becoming environmental stewards.

"The Duke Energy Foundation grant will enable school children to visit Coker College's Kalmia Gardens and learn firsthand about the environment," said Dr. Will Carswell, vice president for external relations at Coker College. "Such trips are often cost prohibitive for many school districts in the area. The grant will also help with supplies and equipment necessary to make these trips a unique hands-on learning experience for so many children. We are indebted to Duke Energy for their support."

Annually, the Duke Energy Foundation funds nearly $2 million in charitable grants in South Carolina. These grants are distributed across each of its priority areas, including environment, community impact and K-12 education.

Environmental grant recipients
These organizations received grants to improve the environment in their local communities:

Anne Springs Close Greenway ? $49,850 to bring hands-on environmental outreach education to elementary students in York and Lancaster counties.

Beautiful Places Alliance ? $20,000 to help South Carolina State Parks provide expert instruction and hands-on field experiences to students as they explore the Mountain Bridge Wilderness Area.

Children's Museum of the Upstate ? $150,000 to develop curriculum that will build on children's sense of wonder about nature and invite them to explore wildlife and the world around them at a new satellite museum in Spartanburg.

City of Pickens ? $13,000 to create a sensory rain garden located at the Pickens Doodle Park.

Clemson University ? $50,000 to expand programs that provide an environmental education on interrelationships of energy production and environmental stewardship for K-12 teachers at the Duke Energy Bad Creek Hydroelectric Station in Salem, S.C. 

Florence County ? $11,500 to provide environmental educational tools such as kiosks and signs for visitors to Lake City Park.

Kalmia Gardens ? $10,000 to help bring Pee Dee area school children that otherwise might not have access to have a firsthand experience with environmental education at Kalmia Gardens.

Newberry Soil and Water Conservation District ? $10,000 to assist private landowners in implementing wildlife habitat and water quality improvement practices in the expanded Indian Creek Wildlife Habitat Restoration Initiative area.

Pee Dee Land Trust ? $20,000 to expand the Landowner Education Program, which educates private landowners about options for protecting their land and family legacy.

South Carolina Aquarium ? $25,000 to support the traveling environmental education outreach program, Rovers, specifically underwriting service to middle school students in Marion County.

South Carolina Waterfowl Association ? $27,000 to support Camp Leopold, a school year natural resource conservation and environmental education camp in Pinewood, S.C., that reconnects students to the land community through the use of hands-on environmental education programs.

South Carolina Wildlife Federation ? $25,000 to proactively enhance wildlife habitat and offset the loss of prime acreage to commercial and residential development through environmental education programs for landowners.

Ten at the Top ? $25,000 to support the Connecting Our Future Initiative, the goal of which is to build a coalition of stakeholders to develop a regional vision for the upstate ? designed to increase connectivity while reducing congestion and environmental pollutants.

TreesGreenville ? $44,168 for the "Energy Saving Tree" program, which helps residents conserve energy and reduce energy bills through strategic tree planting.

About Duke Energy
Headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., Duke Energy is an S&P 100 Stock Index company traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol DUK. More information about the company is available at duke-energy.com. 

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SOURCE Duke Energy