Ten Hillsborough County projects were awarded Community Education Grants from the Southwest Florida Water Management District. The grants, which are up to $5,000 each, will help fund projects that provide communities the opportunity to learn about water resources.
This year the District awarded 49 grants Districtwide for a total of $171,444. This is the 10th year Community Education Grants have been available.
The overall goal of the Community Education Grant Program is to actively engage adults in water-related issues pertaining to conservation, protection and preservation. Funded by the District’s Basin Boards, the program is intended to motivate communities to get involved in water protection through various activities and educational formats.
The Hillsborough County recipients are grouped according to funding by basin.
Funding for the following two projects is provided by the Alafia River Basin Board. The Alafia River basin includes the southern half of Hillsborough County and the southwestern portion of Polk County.
Club Renaissance at Sun City Center will receive $2,430 for environmental outreach and education at the golf club. Club Renaissance will promote environmental stewardship through signage placed on six of the course’s 18 holes. Signs will include information on water features, endangered species habitat preservation, utilization of best management practices (BMPs) for sustainability, native wildlife and vegetation, water usage and water conservation. The signs will create awareness of the environment, show how usage of the BMPs enhances playability and aesthetics, and encourage golfers to apply what they learn at home. This project has the potential to
reach 46,000 people.
The Camp Bayou Outdoor Learning Center and Ruskin Community Development Foundation will receive $3,378 for a Homeowner Help Line that will be set up to answer questions from new homeowners about water and other natural resources in the Alafia River basin. The help line will be promoted through the media, events and the Internet. Homeowners associations’ workshops will also be offered to help Camp Bayou better understand the needs of the area residents. A web site will be created to post residents’ questions and answers, along with relevant links to additional information. The goal is to have homeowners make good decisions about how their actions affect water resources. The project may reach 10,000 people.
Funding for the following three projects is provided by the Hillsborough River Basin Board. The Hillsborough River Basin includes portions of Hillsborough, Pasco and Polk counties.
Gorrie Elementary School will receive $4,470 for the “From the Ground Up” project, which includes planting a Florida-friendly garden at the school. The garden will feature native and drought-tolerant vegetation. Rain barrels will also be used to supply primary irrigation and micro-irrigation. District water conservation kits and watershed boxes will provide additional educational opportunities for students and parents. This hands-on project will expand knowledge of native plants, water conservation and environmental terminology. The project will reach 300 students and parents, with future visitors gaining information through signage in the garden.
The Crystal Springs Foundation, Inc., will receive $4,895 for the “Going Wild in Our Watershed” event. The one-day community festival will celebrate the area’s natural resources. Learning stations and activities will encourage the publics use of native plants for landscaping, improve personal commitment to water conservation and raise awareness and stewardship of the natural resources in the area. Funds will be used to advertise the event and produce signage, rent a dumpster and purchase materials for activities including water quality testing, watershed cleanup, Project WET activities, flora/fauna prints, field spotting, invertebrate viewing and a restoration project. Approximately 5,000 people are expected to attend the event.
The Lowry Park Zoo’s Boy Scouts of America Zoo Troop 47 and Zoo Crew will receive $3,325 for the “River Cleanup III” project. The Boy Scouts and the Zoo’s youth volunteers and their family members will conduct a cleanup of a portion of the Hillsborough River north of the zoo. The group will also invite homeowners to river cleanup meetings and is planning to organize an “Adopt a River” group. The group will promote this event through signage at the zoo and by distributing fliers. Approximately 1,000 people will be reached through this project.
Funding for the following project is provided by the Alafia River Basin Board and the Hillsborough River Basin Board.
Plant City will receive $2,050 for Garden Hose Water Conservation Kits. The citys Water Resource Management Division will distribute garden hose kits to the community through interactive classes that focus on water conservation and Florida-friendly yards. The goal is to reduce water use through efficient use of garden hoses for irrigation. The grant funds will be used to promote the classes and purchase the garden hose kits, which include an automatic shutoff nozzle, manual hose timer, rain gauge, garden hose repair kit and garden trowel. The project will reach approximately 125 participants.
Funding for the following four projects are funded by the Alafia River Basin Board, the Hillsborough River Basin Board and the Northwest Hillsborough Basin Board. The Northwest Hillsborough basin includes northwest Hillsborough County.
The Manatee Viewing Center will receive $3,000 for the “Attract Wildlife!” Florida-friendly garden that will be planted at the Manatee Viewing Center to attract wildlife, minimize impacts to the watershed and teach visitors through interpretive signage and District activity booklets. The goal is to encourage residents and students to incorporate Florida-friendly plants in their yards, while keeping in mind the wildlife that use the plants. The project will reach 15,000 people.
The Florida Aquarium Inc., will receive $2,360 for the Project POWER Public Education Workshop. This workshop will build on the current Project POWER partnership with the District by creating a pilot workshop for adults who live in the Tampa Bay area. The workshop will focus on the Tidal Wetlands Act. Participants will gain an understanding of wetlands as a valuable resource and how they can help with preservation. The workshops will be promoted to volunteers, at special events, on the Internet and through email to a database of 18,000 residents.
The Hillsborough County Extension will receive $5,000 for the Tampa Bay Watershed Forest Symposium 2007, which will educate forest managers, municipal
planners, researchers, nonprofit conservation organizations and interested citizens about watershed conservation issues and the importance of forests in the protection and restoration of water quality. A DVD of the symposium will be available after the event. An estimated 200 people will be reached by the symposium and the DVD.
The Museum of Science and Industry (MOSI) will receive $5,000 for water conservation, Florida-friendly landscaping and butterfly gardens. Through educational programs and the creation of three butterfly gardens, MOSI will teach seniors and special needs adults about conserving water resources, natural systems and the importance of butterflies as environmental indicators. By focusing on butterfly populations, the program hopes to increase awareness of how poorly planned landscapes affect the environment. Approximately 500 people will be reached by this project.
The Southwest Florida Water Management District’s 2008 Community Education Grant Program will begin its application process in June of this year if funding is approved by the Basin Boards. To be added to the mailing list to receive the 2008 application, call the District’s Communications Department at 1-800-423-1476 or 352-796-7211, ext. 4757.