PITTSBURGH — Fifteen employees of Pittsburgh based steelmaker Alcoa have been selected as Earthwatch Institute fellows and will participate in scientific research expeditions around the world as part of the company’s overall conservation and sustainability efforts.
Expeditioners nominate themselves for selection and are selected on merit by a team of judges from Alcoa and Earthwatch Institute. All travel and accommodation costs are paid, and the expeditioners use their available vacation time to participate. Alcoa provides a grant to Earthwatch to support research projects where the Alcoa fellows are participating.
The expeditioners are a diverse group representing Alcoa’s worldwide operations and businesses. They will assist in the projects for up to two weeks under the guidance of leading scientists. During their expeditions, they will publish a diary of their experiences along with photographs on Alcoa.com.
“Alcoa is committed to environmental education projects that assist scholars in building a sustainable future for our world. We view this program as an investment in our people, in our environment, in our company and in the Earth’s future,” said Pat Atkins, Alcoa’s director of environmental affairs. “This partnership helps to further educate our workforce about the important role that nature and our environment have on our daily lives. Many times when they return, they begin to approach their jobs and their personal lives with a different perspective. Not only are these employees removed from the daily business environment for two weeks, but they are immersed in a different culture with a team of researchers and lay people from various backgrounds who approach issues from numerous perspectives.”
A few of the expeditions that the fellows will participate in include:
— Jizera Mountains, northern Bohemia, Czech Republic Alcoa representatives from Australia and The Netherlands will travel to the Czech Republic to assist a team of hydrologists working to rehabilitate headwaters from acid rain damage.
— Algarve, Portugal Alcoa representatives from the USA and China will help scientists learn about Europe’s most mysterious and smallest seabird, the storm petrel. The findings will help reveal complex links among climate change, ocean ecosystems and the bird’s survival.
— The Pantanal, Brazil Alcoa representatives from Spain and Germany will assist a multi-national team of scientists in a conservation research center in the Pantanal, the world’s largest wetland.
This is the third year that Alcoa has teamed with Earthwatch Institute to enable Alcoa employees and contractors to participate in the research studies that offer personal development opportunities and help raise awareness and appreciation for the Earth’s ecosystems.
To learn more about the expeditions, visit: www.alcoa.com.
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