Watershed Protection Grant Program
This program provides funding (up to $1000) and classroom support for service learning projects designed to protect the water quality of a lake or stream and to educate the public about the relationship between land use and water quality.
Examples of previous successful projects.
6th grade students from Brunswick Jr. High plant a buffer to protect Mere Brook.
Who Can Apply?
Maine Teachers or Advisors of grades 6 through 12.
Guidelines
Action Projects- The activity must restore or protect a local freshwater resource (lake or stream that feeds a lake); no purely coastal applications can be funded. Projects should prevent soil erosion, reduce polluted stormwater or moderate temperature (streams only). A typical project would begin with classroom activities that help the students learn about the habitat, followed by a field survey, and culminate in a service learning project such as planting of a vegetated buffer, repairing eroded shorelines, ditches, or roads.
Learn more information about buffer planting and erosion control from the DEP publications list . Check out the Sustainable Schools web site for more information about rain gardens and integrating an action project into the curriculum.
Public Education- Students will educate the public about the knowledge gained through their watershed protection project. Some examples would be hosting a public event at the site upon completion, conducting a workshop to teach others in the community about how to complete a similar project on their property, and making a presentation to the municipal group that has the authority to make changes to protect the lake or stream watershed.
Funding- The applicant may ask for a maximum of $1000. Preference will be given to schools who involve community members and in-kind matches of plants or other materials. Funds can be used for materials to restore or improve the site, for transporting students to the site, for a sign at the site and for expendables related to public education.
How to Apply
Complete the application (PDF or Word format) and mail to:
Barb Welch
Maine Department of Environmental Protection
17 State House Station
Augusta, ME 04333-0017
Need help developing your project for the grant proposal? If so, contact Barb Welch at 287-7682 or barb.welch@maine.gov
