CHARLESTON, W.Va. (April 20, 2020) – In an effort to help teachers, youth group leaders, and other educators during the COVID-19 pandemic, the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (WVDEP) is launching playlists on its YouTube channel, “Environment Matters.” The listings are filled with educational videos that cover a wide range of state environmental topics from water issues and conservation to mining and reclamation to pollution prevention. 
Dubbed the “WVDEP Classroom Series,” the playlists are a collection of previous “Environment Matters” stories. They will be grouped by topic and can serve as a resource for teachers looking for fun, informative videos to share with their students while working remotely. 
“We feel this will be a helpful tool for teachers and parents as they navigate our current situation,” said WVDEP Youth Environmental Program Manager, Annette Hoskins. “These videos are a great way to generate class discussions, offer out-of-classroom project ideas, and show environmental issues and solutions unique to different areas of the state.” 
The first playlist features stories on water monitoring and pollution, stream restoration, acid mine drainage, and recycling. New playlists will be announced and released in the coming weeks.
The videos can be found at www.youtube.com/c/EnvironmentMattersWVDEP or by searching “Environment Matters” on YouTube. Questions, feedback, or requests for a video on a certain topic should be directed to Hoskins at [email protected]. 
For more information about COVID-19 prevention and more, call the State’s toll-free hotline at 1-800-887-4304 or visit Coronavirus.wv.gov. 
For more WVDEP news and information, go to www.dep.wv.gov. Also, connect with the agency on all social media platforms. Follow @DEPWV on Twitter, Like us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/depwv/, and find us on YouTube by searching “Environment Matters.”