Wildlife books for new Cottonwood school

Photo by Paul Robeson, Reporter

LEARNING ABOUT ELK: Robyn Hartman's 4th grade class learns about elk from Lou Prusinovski last week at the North Cottonwood School library by comparing an elk and a deer antler. The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation provided money for books for the school.

The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation (RMEF), local Redding chapter, recently awarded $1,500 in a grant for an education project. The students at the new North Cottonwood School were the recipients of the grant in the form of books, “mostly on animals, hunting, wildlife habitat, rivers and lakes,” said School Librarian Sarah Fitch.

Teacher Robyn Hartman and her 4th grade class wrote the grant and presented it to RMEF for consideration.

Last week Hartman, her class, Superintendent Dale Hansen, and Principal Mark Boyle accepted the official presentation of the award by three members of the RMEF — Lou Prusinovski, Craig Carrel and Kevin Butler. Prusinovski talked to the students and compared elk and deer by bringing in an antler from both animals. He also explained that California was the only place where three species of elk existed.

The mission of the foundation is to ensure the future of elk, other wildlife and their habitat. Since 1984, RMEF has protected and enhanced more than 4.8 million acres of wildlife habitat and funded more than 5,200 stewardships and conservation, education and hunting heritage projects in 49 states and eight Canadian provinces. Within the 27 California Chapters, $1.5 million was raised and nearly $450,000 was given back to state groups to improve wildlife habitat.

Prusinovski said the local chapter is focused on helping youth and women enjoy the benefits of the outdoors and that he was “proud to provide the money for the wildlife related books in the new library in the new school.”