Celebrating Earth Day the NSU Way!

For Earth Day this year, Virginia Natural Gas (VNG) teamed up with one of our key community partners and a local Historically Black College and University, Norfolk State University, to bring awareness to student food inequity and combat coastal erosion. VNG employees spent Earth Day volunteering with NSU students cultivating and propagating native plants and grasses that will be used to restore the shoreline of the Elizabeth River. In addition, the Virginia Natural Gas Foundation presented the NSU biology department with a $34,000 grant to further support the university’s efforts to boost the local environment and ecosystem.

“At the Virginia Natural Gas Foundation, we have a vested interest in conservation and environmental issues that we all face in the Hampton Roads region,” said Robert Duvall, president of Virginia Natural Gas and a member of the foundation’s Board of Directors. “How appropriate that on Earth Day the foundation presented the grant, which will allow the university to focus on restoring waterways and protecting our natural coastal habitats as well. This grant will also allow the university to focus on environmental issues while meeting the demand to educate more students who will make sure environmental justice is an integral part of whatever they choose to do in their careers.”

According to Dr. Stephen Via, assistant professor of biology at Norfolk State University, the grant will help in research and service projects aimed at restoring the nearby Elizabeth River waterways and engage the campus and community in the efforts. The grant will also provide students access to new community gardens, where they will learn about the growing cycle of edible plants while learning about food insecurities.

“We can’t thank the Virginia Natural Gas Foundation enough for this grant and appreciate everything they have done for us as we move toward restoring one of our most valued treasures, the Elizabeth River, and help us get more of our students involved in the environmental sciences,” said Dr. Via. “While $34,000 might not be a large grant to some, it will help more than they know and will go a long way as we continue our efforts here at Norfolk State.”