Fund an Environmental Project with a Grant
As clubs are developing projects for which they plan to apply for a District Grant, they may want to consider an environmental project. Here are some ideas.
Tree Planting Projects
In the U. S. every year we lose an estimated 36 million trees in cities and urban areas and rural towns. Your local parks and nature centers are always looking to replace dying trees. Why not develop a project where your club supplies the trees and helps the parks or nature center staff to plant them.
Waterway Restoration Projects
Most of the streams and rivers in Eastern Pennsylvania have erosion issues and are overrun with invasive plant species. Work with a local watershed association, Trout Unlimited, county or municipal parks department in restoring stream banks and planting native plants in a riparian buffer. Your grant could fund native plants.
Pollinator Projects
Help to restore our diminishing native bee populations by planting a pollinator garden in your community. Your District Grant project could include the purchase of native plants and materials to build bee boxes.
Community Composting Facility Projects
One third of waste in landfills is food waste. Plan a project in your community garden or nature center where residents could bring their kitchen waste to be composted. Your grant could fund compost bins, collection buckets, and educational materials.
Keeping Food Waste Out of Landfills
Work with your local schools on a food composting project that will prevent so much food waste from ending up in landfills. You could help your school purchase waste bins and other materials needed to redirect the food waste in school cafeterias.
District Grants could be used to fund any of these environmental projects. Your District Environmental Sustainability Team has examples of grant projects in each of the project types listed. Give me a call if you would like to discuss specifics on these or any type of environmental project. District Grant applications are due the end of March 2025.
Terry Reed
Chair, District Environmental Sustainability Team
610-743-0818
terry.reed731@gmail.com