EGG HARBOR TOWNSHIP – Registration is still being accepted for the Rutgers University environmental stewards program, which gets under way this month at the Atlantic County Utilities Authority in Egg Harbor Township.

The program is designed to educate the non-scientist in a wide variety of environmental issues with the goal of empowering people to make positive change in their communities.

The training, which won the Governor’s Environmental Excellence Award, is a mix of presentations, hands-on experiences and field trips. Leading authorities from academia are joined by colleagues from government and the non-profit sector to share understanding and insights with the students.

The typical environmental steward is a person who has an interest in environmental issues and desires to learn more about the science behind them. The program’s 60-plus hours of training helps non-scientists better appreciate what they don't know and where to go to fill in the gaps when confronted with a real-world problem.

The program runs 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. every Wednesday through May. The cost is $250.

The ACUA is one of three locations in the state where the class is being offered. Other sites are Duke Farms in Hillsborough and the Warren County Extension Office in Belvidere.

For information see www.envirostewards.rutgers.edu or www.acua.com or call the ACUA at (609) 272-6950 ext, 6934.