Western Reserve Conservation and Development Council receives grant

Western Reserve Conservation and Development Council, based in Painesville, was one of 15 Ohio organizations to receive a Dominion Energy Environmental Education and Stewardship Grant.

The Western Reserve Resource Conservation and Development Council, a nine-county Northeast Ohio nonprofit tax exempt organization, was awarded $1,000 for its Envirothon environmental education program. Western Reserve RC&D serves Ashtabula, Cuyahoga, Geauga, Lake, Lorain, Medina, Portage, Summit and Trumbull counties.

Envirothon is an academic outdoor team competition for students in grades 9-12.

Students gain team-building skills and knowledge of science and the environment. Each year the competition has a theme. Council helps winning schools with travel expenses so they can participate, the website states.

Dominion Energy, through the Dominion Energy Charitable Foundation, is awarding $72,000 for 15 Ohio projects, part of an overall $1 million in grants presented to nearly 130 organizations in 12 states working to improve natural spaces or encourage environmental stewardship, according to the news release.

The competitive grants program supports environmental education and stewardship projects that preserve, enhance or make nature more accessible, the release also states.

“Each year I am impressed by the diverse and meaningful efforts being made in our communities to improve and sustain the environment,” said Jim Eck, Dominion Energy vice president and general manager, Ohio and West Virginia Distribution. “These grants support programs and people dedicated to making our world a better, more livable place – one that can be treasured today and passed down to future generations.”

Other Ohio grant recipients are:

• Ohio and Erie Canalway Coalition, Akron, received $10,000 for two beautification projects enhancing the historic Towpath Trail used by 2.5 million hikers and bikers each year.

• Land Studio, Cleveland, received $10,000 for developing an urban park in the Irishtown Bend area of Cleveland’s near West Side.

• Kent State University at Stark, North Canton, received $10,000 for its “Plants through the Ages” garden project.

• Seiberling Elementary School, Akron, received $5,000 for its Exploring the Cuyahoga River Watershed educational initiative.

• Lawrence School, Broadview Heights, received $5,000 for developing its Think-Go-Grow-Green curriculum.

• Malone University, Canton, received $5,000 for developing its Ecosystems Adventure Projects program.

• Shaker Lakes Regional Nature Center, Cleveland, received $5,000 for creating a Woodland Habitat Interpretive Area for visitors.

• Conservancy for Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Peninsula, received $5,000 for its volunteer forest restoration project of removing invasive species and replacing them with native trees.

• Keep Akron Beautiful, Akron, received $4,000 for its Flowerscaping program, which plants flowerbeds on downtown traffic islands, street corners and expressway ramps, among other locations.

• American Society of Civil Engineers, Cleveland, received $2,500 for its Green Infrastructure Engineering Club at Orchard STEM School, in the city’s Ohio City neighborhood.

• Montessori Development Partnerships, Cleveland, received $2,500 for its Urban Countryside nature exploration program.

• North Cuyahoga Valley Corridor, Cleveland, received $2,500 for its Riversweep volunteer cleanup projects.

• Oh Wow! The Roger & Gloria Jones Children’s Center for Science & Technology, Youngstown, received a $2,500 Environmental Education and Stewardship grant for its Edutainment Family Street Festival.

• Sustainable Wildlife Area Restoration Movement of New Philadelphia, received a $2,000 Environmental Education and Stewardship grant for its Pollinator-Related Education and Habitat Re-Establishment Methods program.