National Audubon Society developed an extensive partnership with Toyota, titled TogetherGreen and funded through a 5-year $20 million grant. A significant component is their Innovation Grants Program. This Program funds creative and ambitious projects to engage diverse audiences in efforts ultimately contributing to measurable conservation outcomes. One-year grants are offered for projects in urban, suburban, or rural areas that:
* Meet the conservation goals of TogetherGreen
* Engage new and diverse audiences in conservation action
* Inspire and use innovative approaches and technologies to engage people and achieve conservation results
* Build the capacity of conservation professionals within the Audubon network and beyond
We are very pleased to announce that four Audubon Chapters here in Florida were awarded these much sought-after grants:
Collier County Audubon Society - Reduction of Energy Use and Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Two Cities - $5,834.
St.Petersburg Audubon Society - Sharing the Habitat: A Model Using Bird Stewards to Protect Nesting Birds on Busy Beaches - $9,081.
West Volusia Audubon Society - Rain Garden Workshop - $5,036.
Audubon Society of the Everglades - Greening Children, Schools, Community: Pine Jog's Residential Native Landscape - $15,000.
In addition to these Innovation Grants, we received $7,000 each for four Volunteer Days - two hosted by Audubon Centers, and two hosted by Audubon Chapters:
Audubon Center for Birds of Prey - Wetland maintenance, lake front clean up, water quality monitoring. Partnering with local African American community organizations.
Blair Audubon Center at Corkscrew Swamp - Revert old agricultural lands to native wetland/upland habitat; restore native plants and animals. Recruiting from churches/universities.
Broward County Audubon Society - Recycling; community eco-action projects, beach clean ups, mangrove swamp restoration, climate change workshops. Partnering with American Express.
Manatee County Audubon Society - Remove invasive species, restore marsh habitat, and improve water quality at several preserves. Build native plant garden. Partnering with local schools.
These awards are a wonderful endorsement of the dedication and hard work going on here in Florida.
