HR0620 101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0620 LRB101 15256 MST 64798 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives wish to recognize the many accomplishments of Pontiac Township High School teacher Paul Ritter; and

WHEREAS, Paul Ritter is a dedicated and talented science teacher at Pontiac Township High School and has used his passion for science to educate and inspire hundreds of students; and

WHEREAS, Paul Ritter graduated from Mendota High School in 1988 and went on to earn a Bachelor of Science in Zoology; he worked for the Illinois Department of Conservation as a wildlife interpreter before ultimately deciding to pursue a career in education; and

WHEREAS, Paul Ritter was the 2011 recipient of the National Science Teachers Association Outstanding Environmental Educator of the Year Award; and

WHEREAS, Paul Ritter has pioneered many innovative and exciting educational programs, including crayon and cell phone recycling and a bio-diesel program; he and his students have created the world's largest pharmaceutical disposal network, the Prescription Pill and Drug Disposal or P2D2 program, to safeguard the natural health of rivers and streams, disposing of 6.5 million pounds of pharmaceuticals in five countries; and

WHEREAS, Paul Ritter's Operation Endangered Species program, developed with his students and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, has sought to reintroduce alligator snapping turtles to their natural habitat range and has earned him and his students a nomination for the Indianapolis Prize; and

WHEREAS, In 1983, there were zero recorded alligator snapping turtles in the wild in Illinois; there are now 500 turtles back in the wild due to the efforts of Paul Ritter's students; furthermore, they have monitored endangered shorebird migration and have worked to secure several hundred acres of farmland to create endangered species pollinator plots; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate Paul Ritter on his outstanding career as a gifted teacher and his nomination for the Indianapolis Prize; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Paul Ritter as a symbol of our esteem and respect.