National Fish and Wildlife Foundation: The Nature of Learning Grants

Last week, Philanthropy News Digest reported that the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation is seeking applications from organizations interested in initiating The Nature of Learning program in their communities:

“ The Nature of Learning is a community-based environmental education initiative of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service National Wildlife Refuge System that seeks to use National Wildlife Refuges as outdoor classrooms to promote a greater understanding of local conservation issues; encourage an interdisciplinary approach to learning that seeks to enhance student academic achievement; utilize field experiences and student-led stewardship projects to connect classroom lessons to real-world issues; and involve a partnership among local schools, community groups, natural resource professionals, and local businesses.

Programs must involve a partnership among a local school(s), community group (e.g., Refuge Support Group), and National Wildlife Refuge. Programs must promote an understanding of local conservation issues, improve scientific literacy, and conform to appropriate academic standards of learning. Preference will be given to start-up programs that can demonstrate a commitment to sustaining the program over time.

First year start-up grants are available for up to $10,000 each. Second year follow-up grants of up to $5,000 each are available to support continued implementation of The Nature of Learning program.”

The deadline for submitting an application is June 16, 2008. Visit the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation web site for more information and the complete Request for Proposals.

Note that Cape Cod and the Islands have four National Wildlife Refuges:

•  Mashpee National Wildlife Refuge
•  Monomoy National Wildlife Refuge
•  Nantucket National Wildlife Refuge
•  Nomans Land Island National Wildlife Refuge

For some background information and perspective on the state of funding for our National Wildlife Refuges, please read the following pieces:

•  “America’s 548 National Wildlife Refuges Under-Funded By 43 Percent,” a press release issued May 22, 2008, by the Cooperative Alliance for Refuge Enhancement

•  Restoring America's Wildlife Refuges 2008: A Plan to Solve the Refuge System Funding Crisis, a report by the Cooperative Alliance for Refuge Enhancement (May 2008)

•  Restoring Our Refuges: a Plan for Massachusetts, a fact sheet prepared by the Cooperative Alliance for Refuge Enhancement (2008)