More than $160K awarded to conservation, environmental stewardship projects
The Foundation for Appalachian Ohio (FAO) in partnership with the Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District (MWCD) has awarded $161,965 to support projects and individuals committed to advancing conservation and environmental stewardship in the region.
“We’re incredibly grateful to the individuals and organizations that shared their visions for stewarding our natural environment in new and exciting ways,” said Cara Dingus Brook, FAO president and CEO. “Through this investment, they will be able to transform their innovative ideas into actions that will promote greater well-being throughout our region for years to come. And thanks to partners like MWCD who share our vision for a flourishing Appalachian Ohio, we are now able to award funding like this annually through our Environmental Stewardship Pillar of Prosperity.”
In 2023, MWCD invested $5 million to create the Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District Fund for Environmental Stewardship, the largest environmental stewardship endowment at FAO to date. MWCD’s gift – coupled with gifts from generous donors who helped establish FAO’s Environmental Stewardship Pillar of Prosperity, including Nicolozakes’ Trucking & Construction Inc., Ohio CAT and American Electric Power – will allow FAO to accept proposals annually to support conservation and environmental stewardship efforts throughout the region.
“These investments mark a new chapter in our conservation mission and our long-standing commitment to the well-being of our communities,” said Craig Butler, MWCD executive director. “We are grateful to those who are spearheading efforts to preserve our region’s natural beauty in ways that will benefit individual communities and serve as models for other communities to follow.”
Funding was available to support community projects, fellowships, research and innovation in the 32 counties of Appalachian Ohio and seven additional counties served by MWCD.
Community grants
Five community grants, totaling $20,000, will support locally driven projects that preserve and enhance our natural environment. Funding was awarded to:
• The Big Love Network to distribute starter forests to residential and commercial properties in southeast Akron, which has the lowest tree canopy per capita within the greater Akron area.
• Briggs Lawrence County Public Library to support the development of a community garden on library property near the Proctorville branch.
• The Burchfield Homestead Society in Columbiana County to support the expansion of its garden arts programming, including updating the garden and maintenance equipment and implementing a series of pollinator garden-inspired arts workshops.
• The Dawes Arboretum to provide STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and math) activity kits to underserved youth in Licking County and neighboring communities.
• Hubbard Friends of the Library to help renovate and enhance the Sensory Garden at the Hubbard Library, serving Columbiana, Mahoning and Trumbull counties.
Fellowship
Rebecca Eagle-Malone, PhD, an assistant professor of biology at Malone University, was awarded a fellowship to support her work to develop a week-long science camp for students at Carrollton Middle School in Carroll County.
Dubbed “Let’s Get Environmental,” the camp will provide students opportunities to assess sustainability measures, conduct biodiversity surveys, map trails and explore environmental-related careers in Appalachian Ohio during summers 2025 and 2026.
Innovation grants
Two grants, totaling $16,000, will invest in new and creative approaches that result in environmental good while encouraging environmental stewardship. Funding was awarded to:
• The Alexander Inclusive Playground Project, serving Athens, Meigs and Vinton counties, to help integrate solar technology as part of the playground project to create environmental learning opportunities.
• The Southeast Ohio Recycling Terminal, serving Athens and Hocking counties, to conduct a feasibility study to assess options for biosolids disposal that could save municipalities money, create jobs and reduce greenhouse gas emissions at the Nelsonville landfill.
Research grants
Seven grants, totaling $115,965, will support studies that address critical gaps in our understanding of our diverse ecosystems and contribute to the conservation and enhancement of aquatic biodiversity and healthy habitats. Funding was awarded to:
• Franciscan University of Steubenville to support habitat restoration, remediation, animal husbandry and ongoing environmental stewardship and educational outreach in portions of Cross Creek, Short Creek and Yellow Creek watersheds in Belmont, Columbiana, Harrison and Jefferson counties for the hellbender salamander, an endangered amphibian.
• The Holmes Soil and Water Conservation District for fecal source tracking tests and E. coli sampling on portions of the Doughty Creek water system to measure bacterial contamination, gain insight into the sources, educate the community and pinpoint bacteria-reduction solutions for the watershed.
• Ohio University to support a project that will study whether dredge material from Appalachian Ohio’s inland lakes, laden with excess nutrients that create conditions that exacerbate toxic algal blooms, is suitable for application on reclaimed coal mine lands.
• Rising Appalachia to develop and implement standardized metrics for assessing the impacts of land use practices on biodiversity, habitat health, and water and soil quality; to establish collaborative research partnerships with landowners, researchers and nonprofits to promote data-driven conservation and forest production practices; and to innovate and apply advanced methodologies for comprehensive ecosystem monitoring and restoration. Rising Appalachia serves Athens, Hocking, Meigs and Vinton counties.
• The Ohio State University to pilot a small terrestrial vertebrate monitoring system at Tappan Lake in Harrison County that will provide baseline species data, determine the suitability of the monitoring system in unglaciated habitats and demonstrate a workflow for efficient data analysis and sharing.
• Western Reserve Land Conservancy to support a 17-acre habitat restoration project at Ashcroft Woods Preserve in Ashtabula County, which will encourage breeding and recovery of the endangered Eastern Massasauga rattlesnake and facilitate research with other partners. The conservancy serves Ashland, Ashtabula, Carroll, Coshocton, Holmes, Jefferson, Mahoning, Richland, Stark, Summit, Trumbull, Tuscarawas and Wayne counties.
• Youngstown State University to support a project that is conducting monitoring and modeling in Tappan Lake in Harrison County and to develop scenario analysis for nutrient reduction – and potentially algal bloom reduction – in the lake.
Scholarships
Applications for the first Environmental Stewardship Pillar of Prosperity Scholarships will be available Monday, Jan. 13, through Friday, Feb. 14, at www.AppalachianOhio.org.
These scholarships support individuals seeking degrees or continuing education in ecology, forestry, wildlife ecology or related natural resource fields, as well as skilled trades, vocational and technical training in fields that integrate and support green energy technology, sustainable agriculture and land stewardship. Qualified individuals at any point in their education may apply. Preference will be given to applicants with an expressed intent to live and work in Appalachian Ohio.
For more information on these funding opportunities and how you can support or create opportunities for the people and communities of Appalachian Ohio, visit www.AppalachianOhio.org, email info@ffao.org or call (740) 753-1111.
The Foundation for Appalachian Ohio is a regional community foundation serving the 32 counties of Appalachian Ohio. A 501(c)(3) public charity, the Foundation’s mission is to unleash the collective potential within Appalachian Ohio by encouraging and supporting philanthropy. For more information, visit www.AppalachianOhio.org and follow FAO on Facebook and Instagram.
About the Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District: The MWCD, a political subdivision of the state, was organized in 1933 to develop and implement a plan to reduce flooding and conserve water for beneficial public uses in the Muskingum River Watershed, the largest wholly contained watershed in Ohio. Since their construction, the 16 reservoirs and dams in the MWCD region have been credited for saving over $7 billion worth of potential property damage from flooding, according to the federal government, as well as providing popular recreational opportunities that bolster the region’s economy, garnering more than 5 million visitors annually. A significant portion of the reservoirs are managed by the MWCD, and the dams are managed for flood-risk management by the federal U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. For more information about the MWCD, visit www.mwcd.org and follow the MWCD on Facebook and X.
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