Grants and Gifts
Thanks so much to all of the foundations, organizations, businesses, and individuals that make significant financial contributions to our work. Read on to learn about some of our most recent donors.
Spring 2011 Grants
EWEB Partners in Education Grants
This spring, Nearby Nature was pleased to learn that we will once again receive funding from EWEB’s Partners in Education Fund for the 2011-2012 school year. Scholarships will be available for School Nature Walks in Alton Baker Park and Classroom Naturalist Visits for Fall 2011 and Spring 2012. Scholarships will also be available for our Summer 2012 daycamps. Three cheers for EWEB for providing grants totaling over $20,000!
Fall 2010 Grants
REI Grant
Nearby Nature recently won a grant for $4,965 from REI for its grant proposal: Restoration Celebrations in Alton Baker Park: Restoring Eugene's "Central Park"
In the coming year, Nearby Nature will host a series of environmental restoration work parties -- Restoration Celebrations -- in the Whilamut Natural Area of Alton Baker Park, a unique 237-acre "central park" in the heart of Eugene, Oregon. Through these events, Nearby Nature will provide youth as well as adults with affordable and accessible opportunities to learn about as well as care for nature nearby. REI funds will be used to support program staff as well as to purchase needed program equipment and supplies
Check out our calendar for upcoming work parties and come join in the fun!
Spring 2010 Grants
EWEB Partners in Education Grants
This spring, Nearby Nature was pleased to learn that we will once again receive funding from EWEB’s Partners in Education Fund for the 2010-2011 school year. Scholarships will be available for School Nature Walks in Alton Baker Park and Classroom Naturalist Visits in the fall of 2010 and the spring of 2011! Scholarships will also be available for our Summer 2011 daycamps. Three huge cheers to EWEB for providing these grants totaling nearly $20,000!
Staples Foundation for Learning Grant
Nearby Nature was thrilled this spring to learn that we have received a $10,000 grant to support our programming next year from the Staples Foundation for Learning. This grant will fund three different programs. First, it will provide money to start a pilot program called Green Start for young parents and their infants and toddlers. Second, the grant includes funding for scholarships for a new joint Nearby Nature-Science Factory field trip offering called Earth to Sky! And finally, the grant includes funds to start work on a Citizen Science Outdoor Discovery Lab for use by our NCS students and our teen restoration crew from the Rachel Carson program at Churchill High School. We're so excited about these new programs! We'll keep you posted as this work progresses.
Summer 2009 Grants
Siletz Tribal Charitable Contribution Fund
Nearby Nature got some exciting news this summer! We have received a grant of $1,000 from the Siletz Tribal Charitable Contribution Fund. Money from this grant will allow about 286 kids to participate in free Kalapuya Quest nature walks in Alton Baker Park during the 2009-2010 school year. These walks feature all sorts of interesting information about the people who have lived in our area for thousands of years. Traditional homes, clothing, food, transportation, stories, and words are just a few of the topics that volunteer guides will cover on their Kalapuya adventures with kids. Volunteers are needed to lead these walks. See Volunteering for more information.
Spring 2009 Grants
Jill Heiman Fund of the Oregon Country Fair
In the spring of 2009, Nearby Nature was pleased to receive our first grant from the Jill Heiman Fund of the Oregon Country Fair. We are excited about this new partnership and thrilled to have funds for a series of sustainable living workshops for adults. We will offer our first Lessons in the Learnscape this fall. See the calendar for dates later this summer. This grant will also support volunteer workparties and scholarships for Learnscape programs.
EWEB Partners in Education Fund
In another bit of good news for the Spring of 2009, thanks to a grant from EWEB’s Partners in Education Fund, scholarships will once again be available for School Nature Walks in Alton Baker Park and Classroom Naturalist Visits in 2009-2010! Click here for more information about these scholarships. Scholarships will also be available for our Summer 2010 daycamps.
Winter 2008 Gifts
- The Bankoff-Blanchet Foundation: $500
- The Joyce Thomas and Rob Castleberry Donor-Advised Fund of the McKenzie River Gathering Foundation: $500
- Emerald Valley Kitchen, a brand of Monterey Gourmet Foods, Inc.: $750
- An Anonymous Donor (through the Oregon Community Foundation’s Donor-Advised Grant Program): $1,000
Summer 2008 grants
Gray Family Fund of the Oregon Community Foundation
In early summer 2008, Nearby Nature received $20,000 from the Gray Family Fund of the Oregon Community Foundation to create an interactive Learnscape at our site in Alton Baker Park. Our Learnscape will be a model for sustainable living practices as well as an outdoor classroom. We’ll build a bike rack, create a user-friendly composting area, and develop landscaping that facilitates energy and water conservation. We’ll plant gardens that produce food as well as awaken the senses. We’ll create nature-themed artwork and new outdoor classrooms. Our space will inspire curiosity, imagination, and stewardship. We’re very excited to begin this project and look forward to working with lots of community partners as we develop the site. Let us know if you want to get involved!
REI
In August 2008, we received $5,000 from REI to support a series of weekend family Nature Quests and Restoration Celebration work parties in Alton Baker Park. Our new Nature Quests will include a variety of new topics, ranging from conservation themes to basic orienteering. On the work party front, every month, we’ll be reaching out to a different local community organization or workplace volunteer group. Groups interested in helping out in Alton Baker Park are encouraged to contact us for more information. A variety of projects are available, from canoe canal cleanups to native species plantings to water-wise landscaping.
EWEB Partners in Education Fund
In August 2008, we received $5,338 from EWEB’s Partners in Education Fund to fund free Alton Baker Park nature walks and follow-up classroom visits for 25 local 1st-5th grade classrooms. Starting in October, we’ll be sharing the wonders of our park with 650+ kids! In November, we’ll move into the classroom with a wide variety of conservation-related hands-on activities.
Lane County Cultural Coalition
In June 2008, for the second year in a row, we received funding from the Lane County Cultural Coalition to offer scholarships for our Kalapuya Quest school nature walks in Alton Baker Park. Thanks to this $965 grant, we will have 10+ scholarships to offer during the 2008-2009 school year.
Spring 2008
Tourism Special Projects Grant
In April 2008, we were pleased to receive a Tourism Special Projects Grant of $2,350 from Lane County to create a new programs brochure and to enhance our website. Work on the website was completed in spring of 2009.
City of Eugene
In May 2008, thanks to support from the Harlow Neighbors, we received a $1,500 Eugene ‘08 Neighborhood Grant from the City of Eugene to create an information kiosk at our site in Alton Baker Park. A big thanks to Square Deal Lumber in Springfield for providing kiosk materials at a significant discount.
