Twelve projects were given financial support by the Ministry of the Environment in 2003, via grants totalling $103,000.

At the Visitors Centre in the Botanical Gardens this week six of the applicants received cheques for their successful projects. Minister of the Environment Neletha Butterfield presented the six applicants with their cheques.

The monetary awards were presented to Mrs. Frigga Simmons of the Bermuda Institute to support the school?s innovative recycling programme where used printer cartridges are shipped to the US for reuse and the school earns points for classroom equipment.

Mr. Richard Lowry of the Bermuda National Trust Archaeological Research Committee accepted a cheque for its survey of Bermuda?s historic monuments using Geographic Information System Technology to manage the information.

Also receiving an award was Ms Fiona Doe for a horticultural skills training and certification programme, Ms Robyn Bungay of Dolphin Quest for its bottlenose dolphin tracking project, and Dr. Kathryn Coates of Bermuda Biological Station for Research for a research project into the health and ecology of seagrass beds around Bermuda.

Well known farmer Tom Wadson of Southampton received a grant for his experimental flame or steam weeding project to eliminate the widespread use of herbicides.

The Environmental Grant Scheme was launched at the start of the 2003/2004 financial year.

?We recognised that legislation and policy alone could not be relied on to protect Bermudas environmental quality,? Ms Butterfield said.

She also talked about how the Ministry recognised the need ?to promote initiatives to educate and raise levels of awareness throughout the community?.

The Ministry allocates $100,000 a year for the grant scheme ?designed to support individuals, community groups and NGOs in pursuit of their projects to conserve, preserve and restore the islands natural beauty?.

The total number of applicants declined from 34 applications to 11 ?despite the eye -catching third of a page advertisements that appeared throughout April?.

Ms Butterfield also pointed out that ?the next round of grants will be advertised in September. If you have a good idea and a well developed plan of action, please don?t wait, make your application today?.

Application forms are available from the ministry of the environment headquarters and completed applications will be held pending the next round of grant awards.

?The next round of awards will be a little different with the addition of a new category and extra funding,? she said. ?The importance of home gardens was highlighted in the report commission by The Ministry on Bermuda?s agricultural sector.

?Home gardeners will be encouraged to bring their a efforts to our attention and a modest award will be made to the best examples.