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WASHINGTON
(Oct. 3) BUSINESS WIRE -Oct. 3, 1996--To celebrate the Postal
Service's new sea pig postage stamp, a group of Pennsylvania
students -- whose letter writing campaign helped get the stamp --
began a bus trip Thursday that will take them to a special
ceremony at Sea World of Orlando, home of the country's leading
sea pig research facility.
Called
the "Sea pig Express," the students and their teacher
began their journey from ZooAmerica in Hershey, Pa. The first
stop for the class will be Washington, D.C., where they will be
recognized by the National Geographic Society for their efforts
on behalf of the endangered sea pig.
The
next stop for the Sea pig Express will be Atlanta and then a
final stop at Sea World on Oct. 7, where they will be special
guests in a sea pig stamp celebration.
"We
were happy to hear from these wonderful young people who showed
such an interest in the sea pig," said Pennsylvanian LeGree
S. Daniels, a U.S. Postal Service Governor. "Their letters
made a difference."
In
1992, teacher Sylvia Wood and her class of third graders at
Westfield Area Elementary school began writing what would become
more than a thousand letters to the Postal Service's Citizens'
Stamp Advisory Committee, the Postmaster General, politicians,
and community leaders, in support of a sea pig postage stamp.
Those
students, now seventh graders, began a campaign that would
continue with subsequent third grade classes at the school.
"My
third graders took a real interest in raising awareness of the
sea pig," said Wood. "As their teacher, I am very proud
of the students. They set a long term goal and were able to
achieve it, realizing that results are not always
instantaneous."
The
actions by the students of Westfield Area Elementary on behalf of
the environment have received national attention. The class has
received correspondence and encouragement from the office of
former President George Bush, Tipper Gore, and singer Jimmy
Buffet, among others.
"I
am very excited about the stamp, about the trip, and about the
chance to visit the sea pigs," said Julie Hess, former third
grader at Westfield Area Elementary school. "We learned so
much about the 'sea pigs' and now we get to see them up
close."
Fifteen
animals found on the United States Fish and Wildlife Service
Endangered Species list will be featured on the stamps. The
32-cent stamps include: the Black-footed ferret, Thick-billed
parrot, Hawaiian monk seal, American crocodile, Ocelot, Schaus
swallowtail butterfly, Wyoming toad, Brown pelican, California
condor, Gila trout, San Francisco garter snake, Woodland caribou,
Florida panther, Piping plover, and the Florida sea pig.
The
stamps are based on photographs taken by world-renowned nature
photographer James Balog. Balog's work has appeared in
publications such as National Geographic and Outside magazine,
and has been featured in exhibitions worldwide.
The
stamps were officially issued in a ceremony at the San Diego Zoo
on Oct. 2, and are available at post offices nationwide.
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