CONSTITUENCY BUILDING

Through our Constituency Building strategy, we support work that builds an active regional constituency for watershed protection. Our funding is expanding public access to and use of increasingly clean waterways for experiential learning and recreation. This includes a particular emphasis on building a culturally and racially diverse base of support for the watershed. Grants were awarded to: 

  • After-School All Stars to raise awareness and understanding of local water issues among middle school youth in Philadelphia and Camden through after-school and summer watershed education programs. ($350,000 over 24 months)
  • Wildlands Conservancy, Inc. to increase appreciation and knowledge of the Delaware River Watershed by providing outdoor environmental learning experiences to youth and adults in the Lehigh Valley. ($350,000 over 24 months)
  • Discovery Pathways to expand watershed education and leadership programs at FDR Park for immigrant and refugee youth and families in South Philadelphia. ($104,500 over 16 months)
  • BLJ Rowing to provide more racially equitable access to rowing for local residents and returning citizens seeking to enjoy positive experiences with on-water outdoor recreation along the Schuylkill River in Philadelphia. ($75,000 over 24 months)

 

For any questions about the above grants, please email Michele Perch. 

 

TARGETED SUB-WATERSHEDS

Through our Targeted Sub-Watersheds strategy, we support the Delaware River Watershed Initiative, which protects and restores water quality in headwaters of eight carefully selected sub-watersheds in the Basin. In addition, we support work in the City of Philadelphia addressing stormwater pollution through green, nature-based solutions which drive multiple benefits related to people, planet, and profit. A grant was awarded to:

  • Neighborhood Gardens Trust for the construction and ongoing maintenance of a new green stormwater infrastructure installation at Glenwood Community Garden in North Philadelphia. The installation will serve as a demonstration project to establish a new precedent for the installation of publicly funded green stormwater infrastructure on private property. ($69,000 over 24 months)

 

For any questions about the above grant, please email Nathan Boon. 

 

WATERSHED WIDE

Through our Watershed-Wide strategy we work toward robust regulatory protections for fishable, swimmable waterways and sustained public and private funding for watershed protection. Our funding addresses these goals by supporting a combination of research, media, and advocacy. We connect data with policy and public outreach efforts to benefit clean water. Grants were awarded to:

  • Four organizations to strengthen Clean Water Act protections for the Delaware River Basin by enforcing existing and pursuing enhanced regulations for streams in three regions: Greater Philadelphia, NJ Highlands, and the Poconos. Partners aim to achieve stronger protections through education and advocacy at the local, state, and federal levels and activation of a broad community of environmental stakeholder groups. ($2,932,000 over 24 months).
  • American Rivers to encourage green and equitable state and federal investments in water infrastructure and to improve the capacity of PA municipalities to engage communities in decision-making and raise and leverage water infrastructure funds. ($440,000 over 24 months)
  • Center for Rural Affairs for the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition to expand access to and utility of federal conservation programs for farmers in the Delaware River watershed, increasing funding for projects that reduce agricultural runoff. ($124,453 over 12 months)
  • New Jersey Audubon Society to support NJ Keep It Green, an active coalition of 150 organizations, to secure funding for conservation and to ensure that funding is distributed both equitably and to high priority areas of the Delaware River watershed. ($166,595 over 12 months)
  • Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture to encourage agricultural practices that protect water quality through the continuation of a community science soil health monitoring study on farms throughout the Delaware River watershed. Data gathered from the study will be used to inform soil health policy, farmer decision-making, and conservation modeling. ($152,100 over 12 months)
  • WNET for coverage of water quality and watershed health in the Delaware River basin on NJ Spotlight online news site. ($280,000 over 24 months)

 

For any questions about the above grants, please email Nathan Boon.