TBEP Awards $145,000 for Bay Restoration, Education

The Tampa Bay Estuary Program recently awarded $145,000 to 27 community groups for projects that directly involve citizens in restoring and improving Tampa Bay. Funds for the Mini-Grant program come from sales of the Tampa Bay Estuary license plate – also known as the “Tarpon Tag.”

The 2008-2009 recipients, by county, are:

Hillsborough County

Brazilian Pepper Eradication Pilot Program, Ballast Point Neighborhood Association, $9,985
The association, in partnership with Quest Ecology, Tampa Preparatory School’s Environmental Club and the City of Tampa, will remove invasive Brazilian pepper trees in the neighborhood north of MacDill Air Force Base.

Brandon Christian Community School, Alafia River Study, $500
Students in the 5th through 8th grades will visit sites along the Alafia River to assess water quality, salinity and invertebrates.

Congregation Beth Am Wetland Habitat Restoration and Butterfly Garden, $500
A one-acre wetland pond which has been dredged and retro-fitted as a stormwater pond will be restored with invasive plants removed and replanted with native and aquatic plant species. Younger students will plant and maintain an upland butterfly garden.

Living Downstream: Monitoring the Waterways, Hillsborough Community College, Institute of Florida Studies, $5,971.45
This program will provide an opportunity for high school and college students and community groups to learn about water quality issues impacting Tampa Bay and its tributaries. Water quality monitoring stations will be established at English Creek and Cockroach Bay to collect data that identifies suitable restoration projects.

Florida Native Plant Nursery, Learning Gate Community School, $500
Students will partner with local organizations to grow native Florida plants as part of their environmental research and environmental health class. Mature plants will be transplanted to local parks.

Eso EA! (That’s IT!) Environmental Stewardship Project, Lowry Park Zoological Society of Tampa Bay, $7,000
Lowry Park will partner with the Florida Institute for Community Studies to bring a largely underserved population from south Hillsborough County to the zoo.

Mini-Reef Habitat Restoration at the Alafia Bank Bird Sanctuary, Audubon of Florida, $9,500
The Richard T. Paul Alafia Bank Bird Sanctuary is eroding on the south side of the Bird Island Cove. Volunteers will install 150 oyster domes to reduce wave-caused erosion and provide habitat for oysters, colonial waterbirds and diamondback terrapins.

Neotropical Migrant Songbird Educational Field Guides, Quest Ecology, Inc., $3,800
Field guides will promote awareness of threats facing neotropical migratory songbirds and how these tiny, long-distance fliers use Cockroach Bay Aquatic Preserve in the winter.

Invasive Species Workshops for Middle School Teachers in Hillsborough County, Florida Aquarium, $7,500
Four one-day workshops on invasive species for middle school teachers in Hillsborough County will reach up to 100 educators. The workshops will utilize the Tampa Bay Estuary Program’s “Intruders in Paradise” teaching guide.

Manatee County

Spring Break Camp at Felts Preserve, Around the Bend Nature Tours, $5,450
This grant will allow 100 students participating inthe free and reduced-price lunch program at local schools to attend a one-week camp, where they will learn about invasive plants, the role of wetlands in water quality, and how migratory birds depend on wetlands for survival.

Watershed Education Program, City of Bradenton Beach ‘Scenic Waves’ Partnership Committee, $1,300
This grant will purchase a coastal ‘enviroscape’ model to demonstrate the basics of water runoff. Members of the committee will demonstrate the model at ongoing education exhibits performed in schools, science fairs, and festivals.

Tarpon Tails and Trees: Coastal Restoration and Research in Manatee County, Manatee County Board of County Commissioners, $7,735
This grant will enhance the restoration work at Robinson and Emerson Point preserves by establishing a community-based education program that involves residents in the continuing care and monitoring of restored habitat.

Bay Scallop Stock Enhancement: Tampa Bay Terra Ceia Village Improvement Association, $10,000
This grant will facilitate the release of scallops into Lower Tampa Bay to jump-start scallop populations. Neighborhood residents will work with local scientists from FWRI to release the scallops in suitable locations and monitor their survival and subsequent spawning success.

Pinellas County

The Education/Implementation of Restoration, Lakewood High School, Academy of Marine Science & Environmental Technology, $500
This grant will allow students in the academy to take field trips to Tampa Bay Watch, Pinellas County Solid Waste-to-Energy Plant and South Cross Bayou Water Reclamation Plant.

Broward Elementary School, Weedon Island Preserve 4th Grade Science and History Field Trip, $443.50
Students attending this inner-city school will take a field trip to Weedon Island to learn about the habitats and inhabitants of Tampa Bay. Pre- and posttrip testing will document the knowledge gained from this experience.

Canterbury School Habitat Restoration – Phase II, $5,000
Winner of last year’s “Golden Mangrove Award” for best Bay Mini-Grant project, Canterbury will use this new grant to continue on-site habitat restoration.

George C. McGough Nature Park Habitat Restoration, City of Largo, $10,000
The city will restore approximately 3.5 acres of coastal wetlands and uplands at the park.

Crescent Lake Makeover – Phase III, Crescent Lake Neighborhood Association, $1,000
Phase III of this restoration and maintenance project includes clean-out, monitoring and assessment of the recently installed debris catchers, and purchasing additional plants.

Embrace the Bay through Education, Friends of Pinellas Master Naturalists, Inc., $4,169.63
The organization will purchase props and printed materials for use at presentations and educational booths at local festivals and events.

Little Bayou Park and Watershed Restoration Project, Greater Pinellas Point Civic Association, $10,000
The civic association will remove invasive plants and replant natives at a 17-acre park in St. Petersburg.

Bi-Annual Bear Creek Cleanup, Pasadena Bear Creek Neighborhood Association, $2,000
The neighborhood association will coordinate clean-up and debris removal days and install signs to raise awareness of the creek’s importance.

McKay Creek Greenway Natural Area Habitat Restoration, Pinellas County Extension, $9,969
This 10-acre restoration project will remove invasive plants and reintroduce the federally endangered Florida golden aster.

Regional Awards

Bay Area Canoe and Kayak Club (BACK), $4,533
The club will team with the Florida Sheriff’s Youth Ranches to teach children how to become bay stewards.

Bats of Tampa Bay, Florida Bat Conservancy, $7,461
Workshops for wildlife and environmental professionals will be held on bat species identification, habitat and conservation. The grant will also cover public programs for night hikes at local parks or preserves in the tri-county area.

Frog Listening Network, Hillsborough River Watershed Alliance, $7,365
This project is designed to enhance the community education aspect of the Frog Listening Network by improving the alliance’s events, presentations, workshops and outings as well as extending its education and outreach capabilities through the use of a website, banner and mobile display components.

“Don’t Cut The Line” and “How to Help Baby Birds” brochures, Save Our Seabirds, Inc., $5,500
Brochures will be created to raise awareness of the problems caused by feeding seabirds, leaving unattended fishing poles and improper disposal of unwanted fishing line as well as tips on extracting hooks.

“The Creek, The Kazoo, and What You Can Do” Book for K-5th Grade, The Pier Aquarium, Inc., $7,500
The aquarium, in partnership with Campbell Park Elementary, will create a ‘Watershed Watchers’ book to introduce water quality monitoring and watershed stewardship in a fun, easy-to-read and engaging format. Books will be distributed through Campbell Park and the aquarium library.