SBEP Grants $31,176 to 13 Projects for Environmental Restoration and Education

SBEP Bay Partners Grants support local, Bay-related environmental restoration and education projects. This year, SBEP received 20 grant applications with a total request of $52,989 for the 2019-2020 Bay Partners Grants Cycle. The SBEP Policy Board approved funding for 13 projects with a total award of $31,176.

Applications for 2020 Bay Partners Grants are due on March 2, 2020. Visit the Bay Partners Grants page on our website for more information.

2019-2020 Bay Partners Grants Awards

Bayside Terraces Homeowners’ Association (Bradenton), $3,000, “Stormwater Pond Habitat Restoration” | Grant will support removing exotic invasive vegetation and planting native vegetation around a pond adjacent to Sarasota Bay.

Boys and Girls Clubs of Manatee County (Bradenton), $2,050, “Great Bay – Great Futures” | Grant will support environmental education experiences for 20 students at the Boys and Girls Clubs of Manatee County.

Garden Lakes Condominium Association (Bradenton), $3,000, “Habitat Restoration and Water Quality Improvement of 3.5 Acres of Legacy Storm Retention Ponds and Shoreline” | Grant will support pilot installation and planting of floating islands in community ponds.

Happy Paddler Kayak Tours & EcoVentures (Anna Maria Island), $1,000, “Sarasota Bay Island Stewardship Guide” | Grant will support printing outreach brochures targeted to tourists and part-time residents. The brochures will be distributed to hospitality establishments around Sarasota Bay.

Landings Management Association (Sarasota), $650, “Stormwater Retention Pond Habitat Restoration Project” | Grant will support planting native vegetation around a community pond.

Marie Selby Botanical Gardens (Sarasota), $2,960, “Educational Experiences for Schools” | Grant will support field trips to Selby Gardens and on the Carefree Learner for four Sarasota County Schools classrooms.

Meadows Community Association (Sarasota), $2,985, “Environmental Improvement of Waterways and Wildlife Habitat in The Meadows” | Grant will support planting native vegetation around stormwater ponds. The community has over 85 ponds; this grant will kick-start an effort for community-wide pond habitat improvements.

Nature’s Academy (Bradenton), $2,000, “STEMing the Tide of Microplastics” | Grant will support a program that engages Manatee County seventh-grade students in measuring and reporting on microplastics in Sarasota Bay.

New College of Florida (Sarasota), $2,618, “Relating Human Health to Health of Sarasota Bay” | Grant will support the 18th year of Dr. Sandra Gilchrist's PUSH/SUCCESS summer STEAM program for Sarasota and Manatee County students, many of whom identify with groups underrepresented in science and technology careers.

Orchid Oaks Condominium Association (Sarasota), $1,500, “Orchid Oaks Preserve Restoration at Phillippi Creek” | Grant will support purchasing native plants to enhance shoreline habitats in Orchid Oaks Preserve, one of the largest remaining native habitats along Phillippi Creek.

Sarasota Bay Watch (multiple locations), $2,998, “Guided Community Conservation and Stewardship with an Increased Exposure, Education and Evaluation of Impact on Underserved Youth” | Grant will support the nonprofit’s engagement with youth from underrepresented backgrounds and will allow necessary safety upgrades for the nonprofit’s volunteer underwater dive cleanup events.

Sarasota Jungle Gardens (Sarasota), $3,000, “Attracting Wildlife and Reducing Turf Grass Installations” | Grant will support purchasing native vegetation to plant around the facility.

Town of Longboat Key, $500, “Sister Keys Cleanup” | Sponsorship for annual volunteer Sister Keys Cleanup event.

Village Walk at Palmer Ranch (Sarasota), $2,915, “Village Walk Retention Pond Plantings” | Grant will support purchasing native plants for a demonstration project promoting the benefits of shoreline buffer zones around stormwater ponds.