Fredonia State professor and researcher Dr. Sherri Mason speaking to the Chautauqua County Legislature in 2015, prior to its vote on a local law banning the sale of products containing microbeads.

FREDONIA – A Fredonia State science professor is once again receiving national and international attention for research she’s done on the impact plastic has on the environment.

Dr. Sherri Mason, a professor of chemistry and chair of the Department of Geology and Environmental Sciences at the State University of New York at Fredonia, has led research that has found microscopic particles of plastic (microplastics) in nearly all major brands of bottled water.

The global study of 250 bottles from nine countries found that there were typically 10 plastic particles per liter of bottled water. Each particle is larger than the width of a human hair.

Mason was recently interviewed by a production crew from the BBC, where the study was first reported.

Mason’s past microplastics research also gained attention both locally and nationally, leading to banning the sale of microbead healthcare products in Chautauqua County.

Area residents interested in learning more about Dr. Mason and her research can attend a presentation next week on March 28 in Jamestown entitled “Water Politics: Saving the Great Lakes, the Largest Fresh Water Ecosystem on the Planet.” The free event is part of the GreenUp Jamestown initiative and will take place at 7 p.m. at St. Luke’s Church.

Dr. Mason will also be a guest on this week’s episode of Community Matters, airing on Thursday, March 22 at 5pm on WRFA.

The GreenUp Jamestown initiative is being coordinated by a group of community members and local environmental activists, including James Colby and Becky Nystrom, who want to help make residents in Jamestown more environmentally conscious.

Colby said they’re hoping the events will help bring awareness and insight to both national and local issues.

“That’s one of the purposes of GreenUp Jamestown – to draw attention to local and regional issues,” Colby said. “For example, with Chautauqua Lake we are having issues that are critical. The Great Lakes are being challenged more than they have been. And also because of all the things that are going on with global warming right now. Bot to give individuals insight, which is important, but if people are not aware of what’s going on, they need to be.”

• RELATED: JAMES COLBY AND BECKY NYSTROM DISCUSS GREENUP JAMESTOWN ON COMMUNITY MATTERS

The first event in the Green Up Jamestown series will take place Wednesday night, Feb. 28 at St. Luke’s Church in downtown Jamestown with a presentation by Nystrom, who is not only an environmentalist, but also a Jamestown Community College biology professor.

She’ll deliver a presentation entitled “Earth Stewardship/Creation Care: Seeking Nature’s Truths through Science, Philosophy and Faith.”

“What I’m hoping to do is try to weave the story of live and all the gifts on this planet together – the beauty, the mystery, and the miracle across time and space – weave it all together and try to help answer the question, ‘How do we know the story? How do we know the story of life?'” Nystrom explained during a recent interview on WRFA. “So we’ll be looking at different faith stories, the scientific side, environmental ethics, indigenous wisdom, and recognize that all of those avenues are ways to discover some of these truths.”

Nystrom’s program will take place in the newly remodeled undercroft at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church at 7 p.m. and is free and open to the public.

Meanwhile the next scheduled program will be next Wednesday, March 7 at St. Luke’s, with Colby delivering a presentation entitled “Visionary Earth Stewards and Environmental Triumphs: Now, What Can We Do in Our Homes, Communities and Planet?”

That event is also free and open to the public.

To learn more about the Green-Up Jamestown initiative and to get details on all upcoming events, visit GreenUpJamestown.com.

Earlier this month the Western New York Regional Economic Development Council (WNYREDC) submitted its 2016 Progress Report – entitled A Strategy for Prosperity – to New York State. The progress report details the council’s achievements in implementing its five-year strategic plan and reflects Western New York’s progress on efforts to ensure sustainable and long-term economic growth.

The report also recommends 32 priority projects to advance the region’s growth objectives, including six from Chautauqua County. These priority projects were announced in September and included the National Comedy Center’s Gap Funding project in Jamestown, with $1.5 million requested (the total cost of the project is $20.4 million).

And the report also scores dozens of other projects from across Western New York that have applied for funding but weren’t given “priority” status. These projects scored either a 20 (categorized at “other priority project”) or a score of 15 (“regionally significant priority project”).

Projects in downtown Jamestown receiving a score of 20 include the National Comedy Center, the Reg Lenna Center for the Arts Master Plan, and the Tracy Plaza renovation project.

Those receiving a score of 15 include the Jamestown Renaissance Corporation’s Stabilization plan for buildings located at 10-12 E. Second St, Phase II of the Winter Garden Plaza, Façade work at St. Luke’s Church, and the archives project at RTPI.

Downtown Jamestown projects that didn’t have a score listed include the Riverwalk Illumination Project, the JRC’s Up Close regional plan, and the Fenton Mansion ADA porch restoration.

To encourage the implementation of the Regional Economic Development Councils’ strategic plans and to continue to motivate investment opportunities and job creation, the 10 Regional Councils across the State are competing for up to $175 million in capital funds and $70 million in Excelsior Tax Credits for projects.

the 2016 funding award announcements are anticipated in mid-December.