Ohio EPA Awards Four Environmental Education Grants
COLUMBUS, OH (April 17, 2024) – Director Anne Vogel is proud to announce four organizations have been awarded Ohio EPA environmental education grants to support projects involving wetland education, water quality and biodiversity, habitat restoration, and home drinking water and septic system maintenance.
- Ohio Wetlands Association (statewide) is receiving $5,000 to support WOW! Wonders of Wetlands training for educators with a focus on county soil and water conservation districts and metropark education specialists and naturalists. Three EnviroScape wetland models will be purchased and each person attending the trainings will receive a copy of “Ohio’s Hidden Wonders, A Guide to Animals and Plants of Vernal Pools.”
- Franklin Soil and Water Conservation District (Franklin County) is receiving $4,999 for low-income and underrepresented minority students to participate in a workforce development internship with a focus on increasing environmental literacy about local watersheds and water quality throughout Franklin County. Students from Lead the Way Learning Academy will learn to identify macroinvertebrate specimens to determine the health and quality of a river or stream system. They will use field-based biological assessments and scientific tools as an introduction to environmental science careers.
- Western Wildlife Corridor, Inc. (Hamilton County) is receiving $4,910 to educate the public about invasive plant species and land management practices at home to help protect biodiversity. The organization is planning 10 events including information and instruction from conservation biology experts and scientists to be able to identify the common invasive plant species in southwest Ohio. Participants will get hands-on experience removing and controlling invasive plant species.
- Ashland Soil and Water Conservation District (Ashland, Holmes, and Knox counties) is receiving $4,632 for an educational outreach event in the Loudonville area with 50-75 households. Homeowners will receive information and resources on both drinking water well and septic system installation and maintenance and the effects on water quality. At the event, homeowners will be able to have their well water tested for nitrates and nitrites. In Ohio EPA’s latest large river study, failing septic systems were identified as a significant factor affecting water quality in the Mohican River watershed.
- The next grant application deadline is July 15, 2024, with letters of intent due by July 8. These grants are available for $500-$5,000 and general grants are for up to $50,000. More information is available on the Ohio Environmental Education website.