Kids for the Earth Education Program Grants 2011
Thank you for your support!
These grants are helping to fund core expenses of a growing and popular education program!
For a decade the Kids for the Earth program has hosted students in the conservancy for field trips that supplement classroom learning. This year we've been able to meet growing demand for field trips by more than doubling our naturalist staff, thanks to the generous gifts below.
Transportation expenses are increasingly difficult for classrooms to pay for when planning field trips. These gifts are also helping resolve the simple barriers to getting from place to place.
Over 800 students this spring alone and their teachers, families, and communities thank you for the difference you help us make in the world through the Kids for the Earth program and the Pheasant Branch Conservancy.
Natural Resources Foundation Besadny Grant, $1,000
“Our Foundation works to save endangered wildlife, protect natural lands, and promote conservation education. The Besadny Grants are specifically for small-scale projects that have a big impact in local communities. This year, we gave away nearly $25,000 to 28 projects across the state. We’re pleased to support the great work of the Kids for the Earth program,” said Charlie Luthin, executive director of the Natural Resources Foundation of Wisconsin.
The C.D. Besadny Conservation Grant Program promotes the responsible stewardship of Wisconsin's natural resources at the local level by providing matching grants for small-scale, natural resource projects and programs. Named after C.D. "Buzz" Besadny, former head of the Department of Natural Resources and Natural Resources Foundation co-founder, the program honors Besadny’s dedication to the conservation of Wisconsin's natural resources; funds are also provided from the Foundation’s Teachers’ Outdoor Environmental Education Fund. Public and private organizations, including schools and governments may apply for the grants.
Programs awarded grants range from $100 to $1,000 and must be matched 100% by recipient organizations either through cash or in-kind donations,” said Luthin. “Since the program’s inception, the Natural Resources Foundation has contributed more than $330,000 to 441 projects, covering every county in Wisconsin. "
Natural Resource Foundation Website
Middleton Community Endowment, $2,000
Building a legacy for the Middleton area, the Middleton Community Foundation, in partnership with the Madison Community Foundation, supports charitable projects in the Middleton Community. Tax-deductable contributions are invested for long term growth and managed to ensure that over time, contributions are a consistent, major resource to the Middleton community.
The Middleton Community Endowment awards grants to qualifying 501(c)(3) organizations and governmental bodies. Key interest areas include: cultural enrichment, community development, education, natural and historic preservation, and the needs of residents in the Middleton area.
Madison Community Foundation Website
Middleton High School Ecology Club, $1,500
The Friends of Pheasant Branch Conservancy's Kids for the Earth Program and the Middleton Cross Plains Area School District benefit greatly from a strong and lasting partnership. The specific support from the Middleton High School Ecology Club is one bright shining star in that partnership. Ecology Club students have supported conservancy programs for a decade through volunteer work, promotional support, and financial assistance.
The 2010 Ecology Club Organic Dinner event proceeds of $1,500 were gifted to the Kids for the Earth program to help pay for the continuation of quality field trips for students in the Pheasant Branch Conservancy.
These high school students value the conservancy as a part of their own lives. But they didn't stop there. They have worked hard to contribute to students younger than them by supporting programs that will offer experiences to future students that will last a lifetime.
Restoration Grants 2011
These grants are helping to expand and support our land restoration efforts in the Pheasant Branch Conservancy!
For over a decade, volunteers have geared up during all seasons to participate in our work parties. Thanks to thousands of hours of sweat equity and the support from many grants throughout the years, we are proud to say that the Pheasant Branch Conservancy has never looked better!
John C. Bock Foundation, $15,000
The Friends received this generous grant for restoration of the John C. Bock Community Forest within the Conservancy. The grant will fund activities planned for the third year of a five-year restoration and management program. The goals of the program are to develop and maintain a diversity of native plant communities, practice and showcase sustainable forestry, and provide opportunities for environmental education and outdoor recreation.
Grant funds will be used to restore 5 acres of oak woodland, 3 acres of oak savanna, and 9 acres of native prairie by planting native seedlings and saplings, sowing prairie and savanna seed, and reducing invasive species. In addition, a native seed garden will be planted, interpretive signs will be designed and installed, and non-native trees will be harvested.
The Friends purchased the 19-acre Bock Forest in 2005 and later transferred ownership to the City of Middleton. The City is partnering in the restoration effort and has budgeted $15,000.00 toward third year activities.
The mission of the John C. Bock Foundation is to preserve, maintain and enhance natural or undeveloped landscapes that support woodlands and old-growth forests. Each year the Foundation awards grants to qualified organizations for restoration, protection, education, and research initiatives at these landscapes.
John C. Bock Foundation Website
REI, $5,000
REI is dedicated to inspiring people to love the outdoors and take care of the places they love. The grants program begins with nominations from the store, who select the local non-profits with whom they've developed enduring and meaningful partnerships. We were invited to submit an application this year for grant funding. REI grants provide partner organizations with the resources and capacity to organize stewardship activities and get volunteers involved.
Since 1995, the Friends’ Restoration and Management Committee has partnered with both public and private organizations to remove invasive species, restore prairies, and promote wetland water quality in the conservancy. The REI grant will support our ongoing work of building a community base that is informed and involved so these natural areas will be sustained.
Specifically, the REI grant will be used to educate conservancy users through interpretive signs and links to websites for the latest information on topics such as oak savannas, invasive plants and why they need to be controlled, local Native American mounds and how to respect them, and fire as a management tool. The Friends' website, www.pheasantbranch.org, has many resources for those seeking more information. The grant also provides funds for the purchase of equipment such as loppers to help our volunteers work more efficiently and effectively. New, more precise GPS units will be used to map invasive plants so we can monitor control efforts and native plants that are an important part of the seed collecting program.
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Aquatic Invasive Species Control Grant, $6,155
Aquatic invasive species have been
hitchhiking their way into Wisconsin for decades. These
invasive species can threaten the diversity and abundance of native species,
alter ecosystems and affect our economy and recreational activities. In
response to the increasing threat to our priceless lakes and rivers, Wisconsin
has increased its support of local efforts to prevent the spread of introduced
aquatic invasives by creating the Aquatic Invasive Species Prevention and
Control Grants.
The 2011 grant funds are being used to complete a wetland plant survey and develop a detailed management plan for the wetlands in the Dane County section of the Pheasant Branch Conservancy. The land management plan will focus on reed canary grass (which will build on ongoing control efforts), watercress and giant reed grass (Phragmites).
WDNR
Aquatic Invasive Control Grants Website
Dane County Environmental Council, $700
The Council awards grants every year to a broad and diverse field of Dane County nonprofit community organizations, school districts, and municipalities for environmental initiatives. Grants ranging from $250 to $2,500 are available for conservation projects that enhance Dane County's natural resources and benefit Dane County residents.
Funds were used to purchase a chain saw and related equipment for use in removal of invasive plants such as mature honeysuckle and buckthorn in the Pheasant Branch Conservancy. This equipment is used by our summer interns and year-round volunteers.