Student opens environmental web site

From the University of Waterloo news bureau (Friday, April 20th, 2001) – Environmental students from across Canada will soon have a reliable information resource that provides links to news and information relating to the environment, thanks to the efforts of a UW student.

The web site, thegreenpages.ca, will be officially launched on Earth Day. It was developed by Rex Turgano, a fourth-year environment and resource studies student. He heads the project and has been collecting Canadian environmental web site addresses for two years.

What makes the site stand out from other on-line directories is that it has been developed by environmental students who use the World Wide Web for daily research. “The main goal of the web site is to decrease the hours we spend on the Internet researching for information relating to environmental issues,” said Turgano, who searches and reviews environmental related web sites on a daily basis. “Most of the information is out there but it can be very time-consuming and often frustrating to find. We would like to share our findings and experience with other students or any other interested individuals so they may be able to obtain information easily and quickly.”

The main highlight of the site is the “Resource Centre” section where more than 900 Canadian-based environmental links (with a few notable links from around the world) are compiled and categorized into a comprehensive list. The list is then broken down into 60 recognizable categories or themes ranging from aboriginal people and conservation groups to waste management and genetically modified organisms.

In addition, the web site integrates existing information services such as daily news updates from the Environmental News Network and the Globe and Mail. There is also a “Search Tools” section where students can learn how to effectively search on the Internet and which on-line resources to use.

“It is hoped that students use this web site as a starting point for their research on the World Wide Web,” said Turgano, who wishes there had been a web site like this one when he started his post-secondary studies.