The Watershed Institute’s Small Grant Program, which has given about $1.1 million to recipients since 2003, recently awarded $30,000 to six different organizations. The recipients will use the grants to help protect water quality and habitat, respond to polluted stormwater runoff, and discover solutions to water degradation.
The Watershed evaluates applications before dispersing the funds provided by the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation and others. The following six recipients were selected from 14 applications:
– American Littoral Society will ask the Spanish-speaking communities in Bridgeton, NJ, to share their water stories on RadioCATA, a local radio station. All of the interviews will be done or translated into Spanish so the diverse Bridgeton communities may learn more about their water resources and connections to the Cohansey River, as well as learn how to protect their local waterways.
– Camden City Garden Club will run a summer youth and internship program to inform and educate youth about water conservation issues, train them in practical ways to share their education with residents and local officials, and provide tools to address water quality issues in their neighborhoods.
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NJ Tree Foundation will host tree-pruning parties. These events will include educational forums on green infrastructure and stewardship for Camden, Gloucester City, Newark, and Trenton residents.
– Rahway River Watershed Association will organize volunteers to do visual assessments and perform macroinvertebrate sampling along sections of the Rahway River. The data will be gathered and analyzed for a written report that will help local communities better understand the health and water quality of the Rahway River.
– The Sourland Conservancy will expand on last year’s initial work on its STREAM project. This year, the Conservancy will train and certify volunteers to collect Tier III data (advanced) on aquatic macro-invertebrates and conduct habitat assessments. The information will be shared with NJDEP with the goal of helping the public gain a deeper understanding of water quality in the Sourland Mountain region.
– Teaneck Creek Conservancy will explain the restoration project underway at Teaneck Creek Park. The Stormwater Canyon project will serve as a model for stormwater management practices in the urbanized region.
The Watershed Institute thanks the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation for making these small grants happen.
For any questions, please contact Priscilla Oliveira, the Watershed Institute’s Outreach Specialist, at [email protected] or at (609) 737-3735 x27
