The Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority is offering grants of up to one thousand dollars to schools in their watershed to encourage them to become Watershed Champions.
Ausable Bayfield Conservation Educator, Denise Iszczuk says past projects have included creating a pollinator garden in the school yard, or, in one case where students converted a very damp and soggy part of their school yard into a wetland area.
"Other projects include tree-planting and quite a few schools have taken advantage of the idea of increasing tree diversity and also replacing some of the trees that they've had die off on the school yard. Shade is really important on the school yard."
Iszczuk says the goal of the Watershed Champions grants is to improve surface and groundwater quality, forest cover, and overall watershed health, but can also include a public educational event or activity. She says their projects tend to fall into one of two different categories.
"Creating Awareness or Taking Action and a lot of the projects actually fall into that Taking Action category, but there have been a couple of Creating Opportunities as well just in the last cycle."
Iszczuk says there are two submission deadlines to choose from this year, depending on when the project will take place. For projects taking place from March-June 2022, the deadline will be December 17, 2021. Fall 2022 project applications must be submitted by April 8, 2022. Application forms and more information about the Watershed Champions program can be found on the Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority web site.