Environmental Education and Conservation Fund

The goal of the Environmental Education and Conservation Fund is to encourage the appreciation, conservation, and responsible use of the natural environment in Mendocino County.  The fund seeks to raise awareness about the natural world through education and to address important conservation issues directly.  Previous grants have been awarded to Acorn Partners in Education to support stewardship school programs, the Mendocino County Resource Conservation District to support the bird monitoring project on the Galbreath Wildlands Preserve, and the Mendocino Woodlands Camp Association for purchasing radios for the Mendocino Outdoor Science School.

In 2019, the Community Foundation invites proposals from organizations, including educational institutions, which offer conservation and/or education programs on issues including, but not limited to:

  • Ecological understanding and natural resource management;
  • The importance of the scientific method in addressing conservation issues;
  • The effects of climate change and humans’ role in causing and addressing climate change;
  • Caring for the land through land stewardship best practices;
  • Habitat and watershed restoration; and
  • Providing and improving public access to natural lands so people from all walks of life can enjoy them.

Sports camps and grants to initiate or defend litigation are ineligible for funding.

Criteria:

Educational grants might include (but are not limited to) day and residential outdoor schools and science camp programs, college-level programs in natural resource management, and natural history displays.  Eligible uses for education grants include:

  • equipment and teaching materials,
  • instructor compensation,
  • staff and volunteer training/conferences,
  • internships,
  • student transportation costs, and
  • scholarships that allow more people to participate in programs. 

Conservation project grants might include (but are not limited to) wildlife surveys, training for wildlife surveys, land docent trainings, habitat studies, habitat and watershed restoration projects, improving existing public access to conservation lands, internships for land stewardship and trail building, tree planting, native plant management, and invasive plant removal.  Eligible uses for conservation project grants include:

  • staff time for project management,
  • construction equipment and supplies,
  • engineering and design,
  • subcontractor services, and
  • permit fees. 

Total Funding Available: total $7,500; grant range $1,000-$5,000

Deadline for Submission:  This grant program is now closed for the 2018-2019 grant cycle

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