04/27/2021
2021 Nature in Neighborhoods community stewardship and restoration grants now open
June 22, 2021 Deadline
Want to restore and care for nature in your community? A Metro Nature in Neighborhoods community stewardship and restoration grant can help get your idea off the ground if you have a vision for:
Improving water quality,
Creating fish and wildlife habitat,
Removing invasive species,
Addressing inequities in the conservation movement, and/or
Restoring nature in the Portland metropolitan area
Grant recipients have planted native species at Ross Island, improved water quality and amphibian habitat in Willow Creek, and restored habitat at the Sandy River Delta for fish, migrating birds and turtles all while engaging local residents in being stewards of their local natural areas.
Metro grants expand partnerships to inspire new approaches to restoration, including economic and environmental equity. In the Jade District, APANO, Columbia Land Trust and Audubon worked together with private landowners to increase community stewardship and improve habitat. In Hillsboro, Depave transformed the M&M Marketplace’s parking lot from gray to green by engaging community members that included pavement removal, rain garden creation, and native plant installation. Momentum Alliance and Northwest Youth Corps co-created a diverse conservation leadership program for youth interns with year-round programming and coaching.
Metro’s Nature in Neighborhood community stewardship and restoration grants support programs like these.
This round of grants is possible thanks to support from voters, who in 2016 renewed the parks and natural areas levy, extending funding to 2023. New this round, the community stewardship and restoration grants will be offered every two years.
The community stewardship and restoration grants program will award $700,000 this year. Projects can be completed in one, two or three years. Large grants are up to $100,000 and small grants are up to $50,000. Metro hopes to fund a mix of smaller and larger projects, in order to maximize the number and variety of organizations that participate in this funding opportunity.
Groups throughout greater Portland are encouraged to apply.
Click HERE to learn more about Metro community stewardship and restoration grants and fill out a simple application by June 22, 2021.
To learn more and ask questions, contact the grants program manager, Karissa Lowe, Program Manager, Nature in Neighborhoods Community Grants, Karissa.lowe@oregonmetro.gov