Stewardship associates Micaela Petrini and Ben Wymer flank a wildlife habitat structure constructed at Burley Creek Wilson Preserve in Kitsap County, Wash. Courtesy/Great Peninsula Conservancy
Pennsylvania Mountain Natural Area in Fairplay, Colo. Courtesy/Mountain Area Land Trust
From Cornell Lab of Ornithology:
ITHACA, N.Y. — Now is the time to apply for an annual grant from the Cornell Land Trust Bird Conservation Initiative.
The Request for Proposals opened at the beginning of January and land trusts are invited to apply for funds to support projects that improve private and protected lands and help build partnerships for birds and conservation. This funding program is administered by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.
The deadline for proposals is March 1, 2024. Awarded grants will be distributed in May. To learn more and apply for a grant, see the Request for Proposals guidelines.
“Land trusts play a huge role in the protection of private lands for birds and all wildlife,” Sara Barker said, program leader for the Cornell Land Trust Bird Conservation Initiative. “During the past seven years the small grant program has awarded more than a million dollars to 73 projects involving more than 400 partners.”
The grants are awarded in two categories. Six grants of $5,000 each will be given out in the Capacity and Partnership category.
“The goal at this level is to help land trusts build capacity, facilitate partnerships, and fulfill their mission goals,” Barker said. “In this category, accredited and non-accredited land trusts are welcome to apply.”
Lark Sparrow. Photo by Cameron Rognan/Cornell Lab of Ornithology
The second category of grants is for Management and Restoration. Eight grants are available at $25,000 each. Proposals should outline projects to actively manage or restore private land to promote bird conservation, especially for priority species or those identified as being at risk in State Wildlife Action Plans. Applicant organizations should either be an accredited land trust or be partnered with an accredited land trust.
“The initiative has significantly elevated the critical importance of including birds in conservation planning, land acquisition, and land management among land trusts,” Peter Kleinhenz said, Executive Director of the Aiken Land Conservancy in South Carolina. “I, and my partners, have ‘seen the light’ in terms of how valuable birds can be for communicating and implementing a conservation message.”
Visit the Cornell Land Trust Bird Conservation Initiative website to see what kind of projects have been funded in the past and learn more about how proposals will be evaluated.
Questions about the grant program can be directed to Sara Barker, Land Trust Bird Conservation Initiative program leader, sb65@cornell.edu.
Funding for the Cornell Land Trust Bird Conservation Initiative small grant program comes from donors, including the March Conservation Fund, the California Community Foundation, Dr. Phyllis A. Rosenberg & Dr. Joyce I. Levy, the Makowski Trust, Christine Stevens, and Ken and Brenda Mulle.
