Alligator River/Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge P. O. Box 1969 Manteo, North Carolina 27954 Contact: Bonnie Strawser - 252-473-1131 Back to News Home Page

News Release

June 27, 2006

Refuge Recycling Helps Local School

Photo Credit - Ruth Schultz, CHES
Team Maze™ 300 Points - An amazing maze! This great cooperation builder requires 2-4 players to work
together to move a ball through a wooden maze. 2'L x 4'W board features 30 holes, each with a scoring value.
The farther you travel from the starting point, the higher the score!

Last year, Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge Forestry Technician Brian Van Druten learned that Cape Hatteras Elementary School was collecting empty printer ink cartridges and selling them to make money to purchase supplemental equipment for the school. He volunteered to collect empty cartridges from all the refuge printers and take them to the school. That was the start of a long and mutually rewarding relationship. Recently, the refuge received information describing the recycling project and some of the new equipment that had been purchased.

Ruth Schultz, Physical Education Teacher for Cape Hatteras Elementary School said, "We just ordered this for the kids.........they're lovin' it.......if they get through the maze they get to autograph the board...... Please thank everyone for us for taking the time to give and collect cartridges !!"

Refuge Manager Mike Bryant was excited to learn what the school had accomplished with the donations. "It's a win-win", he said. "We're always looking for ways to recycle everything - Conservation practices always teach deducing waste, reusing and recycling. We were thrilled to find a way to recycle that also helped our community. I hope everyone will start saving their empty ink cart ridges to help our schools!"