Biology students spend Earth Day with governor

Gov. Tim Kaine joined Virginia Commonwealth University students for an Earth Day excursion in Hopewell on Tuesday.

The biology students were collecting data and studying marine life in the James River during the research trip as part of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation's James River Program.

Virginia is incredibly blessed with natural beauty and abundant resources. Let’s do our part to preserve what we have for our children and grandchildren in the future,” Kaine said in a statement issued by his office.

“We must make conserving our resources and protecting them a permanent part of our every day lives.”

Kaine stressed that simple changes such as using efficient fluorescent light bulbs and Energy Star appliances, setting the thermostat a little higher in the summer and using mass transit could go a long way toward protecting the environment.

"Small steps and simple actions mean big savings for our environment,” he said.

Now in its 38th year, Earth Day is an annual worldwide event to celebrate the earth and renew the commitment to building a safer, healthier and cleaner world for generations to come. Earth Day activities expand the support for environmental programs and renew public interest in community activism.

To view photos from the research trip, visit http://www.governor.virginia.gov/MediaRelations/
MediaLibrary/PhotoGalleries/080422_EarthDay2008/.