A would-be pig farmer, a teacher with a passion for science and storytelling and a group of children who grow their own vegetables are among this year’s recipients of the Government’s Environmental Awards.

Environment Minister Neletha Butterfield yesterday handed over grants worth $62,500 in total to 12 worthy schemes aimed at highlighting, preserving and restoring Bermuda’s natural environment.

The presentation — at the Botanical Gardens Visitor Centre — revealed a vast array of diverse projects being carried out in the community.

Omari Dill, from Devonshire, picked up a cheque for $5,000 to help him set up an educational swine farm in Southampton.

The 26-year-old, who has studied farming, wants to use odour-reduction technology on the small-scale farm, which members of the public would be able to visit.

“It would be open to the entire Bermuda community,” he said. “It’s about taking up the Government’s initiative of promoting agriculture. This money will help to get it off the ground definitely.”

David Chapman, an environmental science teacher at the Berkeley Institute, picked up $4,500, which will be used to send copies of his children’s book, Daddy and I Explore the Mangroves, to schools in the Bahamas, Barbados and Jamaica.

The educational book is the second in a series aimed at improving literacy, highlighting Bermuda’s threatened habitats and promoting the need for children to have strong relationships with their fathers.

Mr. Chapman, 32, of Hamilton Parish, whose first book was called Daddy and I Explore the Tide Pools, said Caribbean islands faced the same environmental and social problems as Bermuda.

“The money will go towards a project in which we are sharing the book with the Caribbean,” he said.

“The Bank of Bermuda is involved and we are going to be sending probably around a hundred books per country.”

Children at Sandys Secondary Middle School received $3,000 for their square-foot gardening project, which combines curriculum subjects such as maths, social studies and science with the tending of plants.

Maths teacher Tonetta Spring said the youngsters had already produced mustard greens, string beans, cabbages, lettuces, bell peppers, herbs, corn and flowers.

“It teaches a lot of social skills,” she said. “It encourages discipline because they have to tend their gardens or they’ll turn to weeds.

“They really benefit from learning about the economics of having a garden.”

The City Market, which allows farmers and other vendors to sell locally-produced goods at the Bull’s Head car park in Hamilton on a Saturday morning, picked up $5,000. Steering committee member Joel McDonell said: “This is basically going to help us promote and market and establish some community events that focus on educating people about eating local foods. The goal is to really get it out there and get every single person in Bermuda to at least come down and see where we are and what we do.”

Ms Butterfield praised the recipients for their ideas and urged others to apply for funding from a $100,000 annual pot. “Applications can be made at any time of year,” she said. “I encourage community groups, non-Governmental organisations and individuals to share our vision to promote the protection and preservation of the natural environment.”

The other winners this year were: Miriam Mitchell, Square Foot Gardening Foundation, Smiths ($2,500); Sheila Becks and Richard Bascome, Sandys, planting scheme ($5,000); Berkeley Institute, nature reserve ($7,500); Elliott Primary School and the Educational Centre, Devonshire, square-foot gardening and horticultural project ($5,000); West Pembroke PTA, playground refurbishment ($5,000); Gerry Wilmot, Warwick, goat dairy ($5,000); Llewellyn Emery, Hamilton Parish, multimedia project ($5,000); and Windreach Recreational Village, Warwick, nature and sensory trail ($5,000).