Twelve Pinellas 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.
Funding for the following projects comes from the Pinellas-Anclote River Basin Board, which includes Pinellas County and a portion of Pasco County.
The Pier Aquarium, Inc., will receive $5,000 for the “Spa Beach Splash and Water Festival.” The Pier Aquarium will host the festival at their Education Station. The festival, which is open to the community, will feature activities that focus on increasing awareness, understanding and appreciation of local water resources and conservation issues. The goal of the festival is to encourage community involvement and a lasting commitment to water-related concerns. The festival will potentially reach 1,000 participants.
The Pinellas County Parks & Recreation Department will receive $3,674 for the Ridgecrest Park Habitat Enhancement and Education project. This project has the potential to reach more than 190,300 annual visitors to Ridgecrest Park through educational signs, an informational kiosk, the installation of a pet waste dispenser and a volunteer community-based pond planting. The project goals include teaching the community about wetland and conservation issues, restoring the pond shoreline and to encouraging community interaction.
The City of St. Petersburg will receive $2,864 for the “Step-by-Step Sprinkler Solutions” publication. This publication is being created to supplement the “Do It Yourself Sprinkler System Checkup Guide” created last year with assistance from the Community Education Grant Program. The guide is currently available to residents in Pinellas, Hernando, Pasco, Manatee, Citrus and Sumter counties. The supplement will provide more detailed information on solutions to sprinkler system problems. The goal is for residents to make sprinkler system modifications that promote water efficiency. The piece will be distributed to 7,500 residents.
The Placido Bayou Community Association will receive $450 for a restoration project aimed at removing Brazilian pepper trees. The Placido Bayou Community Association is working to eradicate invasive Brazilian pepper plants in three designated preserve areas of Placido Bayou. In addition to removing the invasive plants, brochures will be created and distributed to inform the 1,000 residents about the invasive species and how the project will help restore the environment.
Kayak Nature Adventures will receive $3,512 for a series of “Bring Back the Bayou” cleanups at the Clam Bayou Nature Preserve. Volunteers will have free access to kayaks, trash bags and equipment needed to collect the trash. This project will educate the public about the damage that household waste does to an estuary and the importance of preserving the area. The project may reach 3,500 people.
The City of St. Petersburg Beach Public Works Department will receive $2,500 for the “Celebrating 50 Years of Conservation Awareness” event, which will focus on water conservation, storm water, watershed issues, litter prevention and recycling. The goal of the event is to change residents views of our environment. The event will potentially reach 800 participants.
The Pinellas County Extension Office and the Florida Botanical Gardens will receive $5,000 to revise McKay Creek Pond. The pond was originally created as a general botanical garden with a wide variety of plants. Education efforts, native plants and corresponding educational signage with a new focus on environmental sustainability will be installed around the 500-foot pond. The goal is to educate approximately 780,000 garden visitors about native plants, pond habitats and stormwater runoff.
The City of Clearwater Parks and Recreation Department will receive $4,350 for the Kapok Park Sign program. Kapok Park was designed and constructed through a District cooperative funding project. The city plans to enhance the educational value of the park with signage to explain and raise awareness about the benefits of the park, including water quality improvement, flood management, the effects of 25.7 acres of forested wetlands, flora and fauna restoration and the effects of weirs placed in the park. This project is expected to reach 15,000 park visitors.
The Pinellas County Department of Environmental Management will receive $4,490 to construct educational kiosks in the Lake Tarpon watershed. The kiosks will provide information about three projects in the watershed that will treat stormwater runoff. The kiosks will include additional information about the effects of stormwater runoff on water quality. The kiosks will potentially reach 600,000 people annually.
Maidstone Property Owners will receive $1,500 for a revitalization project. Filtering native plants will be planted around a small lake in Pinellas County to lessen the impacts of contaminated stormwater runoff from an adjacent shopping plaza and gas station. In addition, a water fountain will be constructed to break surface tension and provide aeration to reduce algae blooms. Participants and customers of the shopping plaza will learn that individuals can make a difference in the quality of life for local wildlife and improve water quality. This project may reach 36,725 people.
The City of Indian Rocks Beach will receive $4,965 for a stormwater awareness campaign. The city will inform its citizens about the causes and potential results associated with stormwater drainage. A direct mailing, local newspaper inserts and posters placed in public buildings will inform residents about essential preparation techniques for directing and maintaining proper stormwater drainage. Residents will be encouraged to maintain property and structures, clear drains and work with the city to correct problems. This project will potentially reach 5,000 residents.
The City of St. Petersburg’s Boyd Hill Nature Preserve will receive $5,000 for a Tampa Bay watershed exhibit. Four banners will be created to explain the importance of the Tampa Bay watershed and how humans can have a positive or negative effect on it. This exhibit will be an addition to the Ripple Effect: Understanding Natures Connections exhibit and complement the current water conservation exhibit. The banners will be viewed by approximately 50,000 visitors.
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.