Members of the Calusa Lakes & Woodland Trail Homeowners Association in Venice are briefed on how to install Florida-friendly landscaping and a micro-irrigation system.
Before clearing a pond of unwanted, invasive plants, residents from Pelican Cove in Sarasota learned how fertilizer and pesticide use affects local stormwater ponds.
If you are interested in organizing a project that provides your neighborhood, community group or the general public an opportunity to learn about water resources, now is the time to apply for a 2009 Community Education Grant to help fund your project.
The goal of the District’s 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 watershed protection through various activities and educational formats. Grant recipients receive up to $5,000 to help fund their water resources projects.
Potential grant projects must take place between March 1 and June 30, 2009.
Projects should involve and educate on any or all of the following issues: alternative water resources, water quality, water conservation, flood protection, natural systems and watersheds.
Examples of past projects include watershed education fairs, cleanups, Florida-friendly landscaping projects and showerhead exchange programs. To discuss project ideas, please call Virginia Sternberger, community education grant coordinator, at 1-800-423-1476, ext. 4756.
To apply, visit the District’s web site at WaterMatters.org/communitygrants/. The electronic application allows applicants to save, review and change portions of their proposal before submitting. Grant applications are due Aug. 22, 2008.
In addition to grant funding, a variety of free materials are available and can be ordered on the District’s web site at WaterMatters.org/publications/ .