Seal of Dane County County of Dane
Translate
County Executive's Office

County Executive Falk Announces Dane County Environmental Grant Awards

February 21, 2006
Lesley Sillaman (608) 267-8823
County Executive

Madison -- Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk today announced grant awards, totaling more than $1000, to four organizations for projects that help promote awareness, conservation and preservation of Dane County’s natural resources. “These groups are increasing biodiversity on school grounds, fighting invasive plants and restoring oak savannas and prairies, enabling students to monitor the health of our area lakes and marshes, and providing means for neighborhood Friends of Monona Bay to regularly help care for the lakes and its shoreline,” said Falk. “Sometimes a small grant can make a big difference.” The Dane County Environmental Council, a five-member council appointed by Falk and approved by the County Board, selected the following grants: · $300 to James Madison Memorial High School biodiversity project on school grounds for putting in prairie and bluebird houses as part of an ongoing conservation biology class project. · $197.60 to the Friends of Monona Bay equipment for monthly shoreline maintenance teams for removing refuse and noxious plants from the shoreline and waters of Monona Bay. · $300 to the Dane County Chapter of the Ice Age Park and Trail Foundation project to restore degraded oak savanna on the Valley View tract in the Town of Middleton on a heavily used part of the Ice Age National Scenic Trail. Will be working with chapter volunteers and Madison West High School students for this project to remove invasive shrubs and collect and plant native prairie seeds as an understory. · $350 to Sherman Middle School Cherokee Marsh field science service learning project to test water and soil quality for testing equipment and transportation to the field site. The Council’s mission is to assist public and private groups in protecting natural areas in Dane County and to assume an educational role in the awareness, conservation and protection of the environment and natural resources. This annual grant program is one of the activities that the Council sponsors as part of fulfilling its mission. Funding for this year’s small grants program is provided through a newly established private-public partnership (started in 2005) to support the mission of the Environmental Council. For more information on the Dane County Environmental Council, see their website at: http://www.countyofdane.com/commissions/environmentalcouncil or contact their staff, Mindy Habecker at habecker@co.dane.wi.us or 224-3718. # # #
Back to Press Releases