United Kingdom
Far from being solely a “Third World” issue, Community Engagement has important implications for economically advanced nations, especially future generations. Accordingly, Chevron supports projects in the United Kingdom and Europe that foster greater awareness and understanding, particularly among young people. Some examples:
Environmental Study Centre
Chevron is working with the Prince’s Trust to create an Environmental Study Centre on coastal land belonging to Pembroke Refinery (the refinery sits in a National Park). The walkways through the marshlands are already open, and the centre itself will be opened officially in 2003. The project, which will provide a study centre for use by schools and colleges from around the U.K., is partially funded by the company (which also is making the land available) but run by the Prince’s Trust charity.
Environmental Photography Competition
In Scotland, Chevron – in partnership with Scottish Wildlife Trust and British Trust for Conservation Volunteers – sponsors an environmental photography contest open to all the nation’s secondary school students. Schools are invited to submit entries; project partners judge (with some external judges from other partnership organizations or individuals recognized in natural history circles). Winning entries are mounted in a traveling exhibit. The company hosts an awards event in Edinburgh, as well as community events at selected exhibit sites.
SeaWatch Cetacean Sighting Project
The project encourages people offshore – on installations, rigs, and industry vessels – to report sightings of cetaceans, primarily in UK North Sea. Chevron funding supplies charts and video material to vessels to help crews identify whales and dolphins and report the sightings to SeaWatch. This helps provide a more complete picture of whale and dolphin behavior in the North Sea and Atlantic Margin on a seasonal basis. The project also has wider potential for positive impact, as many participating vessels are chartered for international operation.