Download Full List of Unrestricted General Grant Awards, 1991 to Present

Select Award Examples by year, below.

2004  |  2003  |  2002  |  2001  |  2000  |  1999  |  1998  |  1997 - 1991

BIODIVERSITY PROGRAM
Elder Services of Cape Cod - $5,000
To support the Senior Environment Corps to conduct a vernal pool survey on Cape Cod and Martha's Vineyard. The findings will be reported to both the Massachusetts Natural Heritage & Endangered Species Program for certification and to local officials.

Georgia Environmental Policy Institute - $6,600
To continue the publication of Right Whale News and to expand both the coverage and distribution of the newsletter. Right Whale News seeks to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of recovery efforts for the North Atlantic right whale through information exchange and to improve the understanding of right whale management, funding, education, research and other recovery actions and issues.

Harvard University- Harvard Forest - $20,000
To document the range of biodiversity in Massachusetts' vernal pools in an effort to assess the influence of habitat characteristics and land-use history on the biological communities of pools. The findings will help to inform conservation planning and management strategies for these habitats.

Marine Biological Laboratory - $20,389
To examine the effects of sandplain biodiversity management techniques on the quality of water delivered to the groundwater aquifer and an adjacent coastal great pond on Martha's Vineyard. The study will provide practical guidelines for designing management strategies for conservation of species-rich sandplain grasslands, heathlands, and oak barrens that minimize the threat to groundwater quality and risk of eutrophication of coastal water bodies.

Massachusetts Audubon Society - $13,933
To survey freshwater crustacean species statewide in order to collect baseline data on their distribution and abundance, as well as to identify habitat critical to their long-term conservation. These data will contribute to the Natural Heritage & Endangered Species Program's Aquatic Biodiversity Project and will inform ecological management efforts.

New England Wild Flower Society - $12,870
To engage members of the Plant Conservation Volunteer Corps in the survey of up to 100 locations along the Connecticut border for the presence, distribution, and abundance of Japanese stiltgrass, a non-native invasive species documented in Mid-Atlantic states to have entirely displaced native plant communities in the herbaceous layer of floodplain forests and wetlands. Public programs regarding stiltgrass and other invasive species will be held and control actions will be undertaken at identified sites.

Wheelock College - $15,000
To support the compilation, posting, and maintenance of WhaleNet's Live Research Database on Endangered Right Whales. WhaleNet is an interactive site that combines computer technology with the work of researchers and educators to promote science learning and an understanding of the marine environment.

GENERAL GRANTS PROGRAM
Dalton Community Cable Association - $20,000
To produce and distribute three video programs to increase awareness, understanding and protection of the Massachusetts portion of the watershed, including an aerial overview of the watershed designed for environmental and planning organizations; an educational video created for teachers that meets the state Curriculum Frameworks, and an educational program for community access television.

Hoosic River Watershed Association - $10,888
To support public outreach and education efforts in the Hoosic watershed including a
residency program for professional artists and scientists to engage Berkshire elementary students in river-related projects, an annual RiverFest celebration, and a State of the River Report.

Housatonic River Restoration - $20,000
To implement a comprehensive education action plan for the Housatonic watershed by establishing a regional network of classroom educators, municipal officials, environmentalists and others to create quality, place-based water resource education. This network will provide resources, training and assistance to classroom teachers and will implement pilot educational initiatives in the broader community to facilitate the restoration of the river.

Island Alliance - $20,000
To support a symposium for the general public and researchers participating in the first environmental inventory and monitoring study conducted for the 34 islands and coastal waters of the Boston Harbor Islands National Park Area. The symposium will facilitate discussion and dissemination of information gathered to date and will inform the 13-member Partnership's future decisions regarding the islands park.

Massachusetts Watershed Coalition - $16,000
To collaborate with the Pure Water Stewardship Project to promote forest stewardship and protect water supplies in central Massachusetts, including the creation and distribution of a monthly bulletin; assistance to local open space committees to encourage proactive work with forest owners; and creation of a web site to inform land owners and residents about forest resources.

Merrimack River Watershed Council - $19,960
To develop and implement an interdisciplinary middle school watershed education curriculum for the City of Lowell entitled The River Connection. This year long, hands-on program will foster a sense of place and provide an opportunity for at-risk kids to participate in workshops and field trips throughout the Merrimack River watershed.

The Nature Conservancy- Plymouth County - $17,000
To create the Plymouth Pondwatcher Program, a volunteer-based, systematic
assessment of the physical and biological conditions of twelve globally rare coastal plain ponds.

Northeast Organic Farming Association - $20,000
To recruit and train land care professionals according to the model Organic Land Care Standards, particularly by targeting and disseminating information to non-organically oriented landscapers and their professional associations, and to host statewide public outreach programs in cooperation with these new partners.

Railroad Street Youth Project - $20,000
To continue and expand Project Native, a youth-run native plant nursery focused on protecting the water resources of the Housatonic watershed. Plans include upgrading wholesale and retail operations in a way that can be "franchised" in other communities across the state.

Schooner Ernestina Commission - $5,500
To support the design, production, and distribution of the Watershed to the Bay curriculum guide, a third grade waterfront-based program on board the schooner Ernestina focusing on watershed education for students of Massachusetts' coastal communities. The guide will encourage inclusion of environmental sciences in student course work and will generate a connection to resources in local communities.

South Shore Natural Science Center - $7,930
To expand the Willow Brook Farm environmental education program to include additional schools along the North River. The program focuses on teaching students the characteristics and functions of wetlands through guided investigations of swamps, bogs, marshes and other wetland areas on the property as well as through classroom curricula.

The Thoreau Institute - $10,000
To support Finding Walden, a summer institute for middle school teachers that shows them how to use the ecology, natural, and cultural histories of their schools' communities in their teaching while meeting the state's Curriculum Frameworks.

Urban Ecology Institute - $20,000
To work with community organizations in the Mystic River watershed as part of the Natural Cities Program to identify 30 priority sites that are both ecologically significant and important to the communities, and to implement the legal and policy tools to protect and restore those sites. The results of this effort will be shared with other urban watersheds across the state.

ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION PROGRAM
Athol Bird and Nature Club - $20,000
Millers River Environmental Education Center
To link students and their teachers to resources that will facilitate the design and implementation of environmental curricula in area schools and to assist with the implementation of school-based environmental education projects such as a salmon-rearing program, an outdoor classroom, and Biodiversity Days.

Essex National Heritage Commission - $25,000
Northeast Environmental Education Partnership
To create a web-based resource for teachers, environmental educators, and the general public that will help to link local environmental resources, curricula and teaching materials to the Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks.

Hands-On Boat-Based Education and Science - $7,600
To expand Coastal Expeditions, a multidisciplinary marine education program for grades K-6 at Salem's Carlton School, by providing professional development and curriculum support for teachers and leading field investigations on board the organization's vessel.

Hitchcock Center for the Environment - $30,000
Valley Environmental Education Collaborative
To assist in the development and implementation of an integrating study theme for Heath Elementary School using the Deerfield River Watershed as the focus.

Nashua River Watershed Association - $10,000
To establish a Citizen Naturalist Network to organize community events and assist with school programs in an effort to further engage local schools and educators in environmental education programs.

YMCA Southcoast - $10,000
To initiate a Multi-Site Biodiversity Monitoring Project for middle school students in the Buzzards Bay region in collaboration with the Lloyd Center for Environmental Studies.

ENVIRONMENT AS AN INTEGRATING CONTEXT (EIC) INITIATIVE
Community Foundation of Southeastern Massachusetts - $15,000
Southeastern Environmental Education Alliance
To provide partial funding for a consultant to assist with the implementation of the Environment as an Integrating Context School reform model in three schools in southeastern Massachusetts. This person will facilitate connections between the individual schools and community organizations to ensure adequate and rigorous implementation of EIC and will schedule and facilitate planning sessions for the school teams.

ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING PROGRAM
Berkshire Regional Planning Commission - $14,550
To revise and expand the monitoring program at Onota Lake to include deep-hole phosphorus sampling as well as data collection from the lake's tributaries. In addition, the program's Quality Assurance Project Plan will be revised to include the changes and will be re-submitted to the Department of Environmental Protection and the Environmental Protection Agency for approval.

Charles River Watershed Association - $20,679
To work with the Division of Fisheries, Wildlife & Environmental Law Enforcement to complete an assessment of current fish communities in the Charles River and to
develop a target community for the river which will result in the development of stream flow recommendations to restore and protect river fish.

Coalition for Buzzards Bay - $22,000
To continue the coastal water quality monitoring program, Baywatchers, and expand its outreach through the installation of 100 signs at locations in ten towns along the Bay. The signs will be placed at public access points such as boat landings, beaches, and fishing docks and will highlight local water quality and trends as reported in the Coalition's Bay Health Index Ranking.

Harvard University- Harvard Forest - $19,924
To develop a monitoring program to examine the biological communities of headwater habitat streams in Massachusetts in an effort to afford better protection to their downstream water bodies. The data collected will help to establish whether headwater streams are providing important biological habitat for stream salamanders and aquatic macroinvertebrates and will inform future research on this issue.

Housatonic Valley Association - $20,000
To continue the volunteer water quality monitoring program undertaken for the Housatonic's East Branch sub-basin and to expand the program to encompass the West Branch. Specifically, the grant will be used to train West Branch volunteers; obtain needed supplies and equipment; gather data and perform lab tests; input the data into a computer mapping database; analyze the data; distribute and publicize the results; and develop a Quality Assurance Project Plan for the West Branch monitoring program.

Ipswich River Watershed Association - $8,750
To support the State of the Ipswich Project, an effort to include the production of a report for the general public that communicates the results of research and monitoring to date, as well as a conference to present the results and discuss future needs and research.

Lowell Parks & Conservation Trust - $7,500
To recruit and train volunteers from local neighborhoods to participate in the Concord
River Alewife Restoration Project. The volunteers will monitor the river for the presence of alewife during their annual migration and log in sightings through the Internet.

Nashua River Watershed Association - $10,000
To support NRWA's volunteer water quality monitoring program to include monthly data collection at 35 river sites and two nutrient-impaired lakes. In addition, two tributaries will be selected for benthic macroinvertebrate sampling and habitat assessment; and pH and alkalinity will be tested in previously identified sensitive sites.

UMASS/Amherst- Massachusetts Water Watch Partnership - $20,000
To enhance the services and materials provided to volunteer monitoring groups across the state including updating the river monitoring manual, creating a lake monitoring manual, working with the Department of Environmental Protection on standard operating procedures for macroinvertebrate sampling, conducting a data management workshop, and improving the efficiency and effectiveness of the organization's database and web site.

NEW HORIZONS PROGRAM
The Green Roundtable - $20,000
To partially support the first year of a multi-year effort to address the impacts of the built environment on the regenerative capacity of water resources by identifying and convening major stakeholders in the Commonwealth; drafting a strategic plan that outlines a template for municipalities to adopt new standards for the built environment; and furthering an organizational model for use by other states.

Harvard Medical School -
Ctr. for Health & the Global Environment - $20,000
To support Climate Change, Human Health and the Ocean: Raising Awareness in Greater Boston, a collaborative project with the New England Aquarium that includes workshops for public high school teachers in Greater Boston to provide them with knowledge, curricula and tools to teach their students about climate change and its connection to the marine environment and human health, as well as outreach to local radio stations to broadcast a series of interviews with experts on these issues.

Ipswich River Watershed Association - $12,650
To investigate water demand forecasting methodologies in the Ipswich watershed and to identify improvements or alternative methods that can provide better information about future water use and be used as a model throughout the state.

Massachusetts Riverways Program - $30,000
To develop an Index of Environmental Risk that will ascertain the hazard to aquatic resources from the uncontrolled breach or catastrophic failure of dams and to develop an assessment of environmental impact that will identify dams currently degrading the environment and characterize the level of impact. This information will complement the existing Dam Safety inspection and rating activities and will assist decision-makers at all levels.

Silent Spring Institute - $25,000
To expand research of endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) on Cape Cod to include testing of drinking water wells, and to identify chemical indicators of EDC presence to determine a more economical means of assessing impact on well water as well as refining methods for estimating EDC levels from land use analysis and other data incorporated in a geographic information system. Results will provide new data to assess human exposure and contribute to developing improved planning tools to protect groundwater, both in Massachusetts and nationwide.

Tufts University- School of Veterinary Medicine - $17,225
To support collection and analysis of baseline data regarding Massachusetts' threatened and endangered coastal avian populations and their habitats that will serve to help correlate mortality to causes and will aid in the development of vulnerability indices of various species to hazardous marine events, such as oil spills. Information and results will be disseminated to agencies and communities in an effort to develop regional plans for protecting aquatic birds and habitats as well as preventing and preparing for future oil spills.

YOUTH IN ENVIRONMENAL PHILANTHROPY PROGRAM
Barnstable County Resource Development - $10,000
To support the continuation of the nine-member Green Grant Youth Council, a youth-focused and youth-administered program aimed at environmental stewardship and philanthropy on the Cape.

Community Foundation of Cape Cod - $10,000
To create a Youth Advisory Committee (YAC) composed of representatives in grades 8-11 from the Cape and Islands. In addition to grantmaking, YAC members will also be involved in fundraising for a youth philanthropy endowment and will engage in community service projects.

Massachusetts 4-H Foundation - $3,725
To launch the 4-H Youth Philanthropy Council, hosted by the state's Southeast region of 4-H, to distribute small grants to environmental projects in Norfolk County.

Wareham Public Schools - $12,000
To support the continuation of the Youth Empowerment Committee for a second year. The Committee takes an active role in educating the local community about environmental issues concerning land and water use and implements a mini-grant program to support efforts of students and community members to address these issues.

YMCA of the North Shore - $10,000
To expand an existing youth grantmaking program to encompass environmental issues. Youth council members will be recruited from the existing council, the YMCA Learn and Serve America Project, three YMCA teen centers in Beverly and Gloucester, as well as from local schools and community organizations.
 

Award Examples, Current & Past*

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