Bay Soundings l Mini-Grants

Mini-Grants Applications Available:
Workshop August 22nd

Mini-Grant applications are available online at www.tbep.org and a free workshop is planned for Aug. 22 to assist groups who need additional instruction. The deadline for submitting proposals is Oct. 2 at 3 p.m. Grants will be awarded in mid-November.

Tampa Bay Estuary Program’s Mini-Grants are awarded annually to citizen groups and organizations in Hillsborough, Manatee and Pinellas counties. The grants, which range from $500 to $7500, are available for projects that address critical issues facing Tampa Bay, including invasive species removal, habitat restoration, pollution prevention, boater/angler education or public health protection/education. Mini-Grants are funded through the approximately $120,000 raised through the sale of the Tampa Bay Estuary specialty license plate. For more information, contact Misty Cladas at 727-893-2765 or e-mail misty@tbep.org.

Estuary Program Awards $90,000 in Community Grants

The Tampa Bay Estuary Program recently awarded $90,000 to 15 community groups for projects that directly involve citizens in restoring and improving Tampa Bay. This year’s Bay Mini-Grant program attracted 17 applicants. Members of the estuary program’s Community Advisory Committee evaluated the grant proposals, recommending 15 for full or partial funding. Funds for the Mini-Grant program come from sales of the Tampa Bay Estuary license plate – also known as the “Tarpon Tag.” License plate revenues can only be used for projects such as the Mini-Grant program that directly helps to implement bay restoration goals.

The 2005-2006 recipients are:

Project	Amount	Scope of Project
Lake Joanne Restoration Project	$7,500.00	Bayshore Christian School, Tampa The school and residents of the surrounding neighborhood will work together to remove non-native plants from a residential lake, re-introduce native plants and fish, install educational signs and incorporate the lake restoration into the curriculum for the school’s 400 students.
Cypress Creek’s Learning Lab	$5,327.39	Cypress Creek Elementary School, Ruskin Students will use an outdoor learning lab to study animal-plant biological interactions. The greenhouse will function both as a wetland plant nursery and butterfly garden. Plants grown in the greenhouse will be used in a wetland watershed project already in place.
Small Steps to Improve Tampa Bay	$4,217.05	Hiilsborough Community College, Tampa As parents enrolled in service-learning courses work to decrease stormwater runoff through public gardens, ditch plantings and erosion prevention, the childcare center at Hillsborough Community College will teach their children about ponds, weather and beneficial insects such as ladybugs. Insects will be cultivated by the children and released into the gardens on campus.
Eradication of Invasive Plants	$7,214.75	Dolly Bay Condominium Association, Palm Harbor Residents of this condominium community on Lake Tarpon will remove invasive air potato vines, as well as melaleuca and Brazilian pepper trees lining the shores of Dolly Bay.
In Harmony with Nature	$1,907.00	Florida Native Plant Society-Pinellas Chapter, St. Petersburg The Pinellas Chapter of the Florida Native Plant Society will continue production of educational materials for their popular “Landscaping and Gardening with Native Plants” program that targets homeowners associations.
Touch Tank Exhibit	$7,500.00	Great Explorations, The Children’s Museum, St. Petersburg Funds will be used to purchase a 200-gallon touch tank that will become part of the museum’s water education exhibit, which focuses on species and habitats found in the Tampa Bay estuary.
Windows into the Wetlands	$4,080.00	Pathfinder, Inc., St. Petersburg Middle-school science teachers and youth service volunteers will document the elements of an estuary ecosystem as part of a hands-on and interactive experience. Using disposable digital cameras, participants will photograph their experiences during their Pathfinder program, creating a photo exhibit that will be displayed and rotated around several locations.
Paw Playground Pet Waste Project	$9,948.09	Pinellas County Parks & Recreation Department, Clearwater Submitted in response to special requests for proposals addressing pet waste, this project will educate pet owners using the county’s five dog parks about the negative water quality and public health impacts caused by the improper disposal of pet waste. Funding includes the purchase of pet waste disposal bags, educational signs and the use of community volunteers to promote the program and monitor effectiveness.
Placido Bayou Community Association	$4,900.00	St. Petersburg Residents of the Placido Bayou community will eradicate invasive Brazilian pepper trees in a 6,000-square-foot conservation easement. The community will also install native plants to help prevent the reestablishment of pepper trees and enhance habitat quality.
Environmental Learning Zone-Wetlands Ecosystem Exhibit	$6,800.00	Science Center of Pinellas County, St. Petersburg The Science Center will enhance its Wetlands Ecosystem Exhibit by removing invasive plants and replanting appropriate native plants, establishing walking trails with interpretive signs, and introducing a water quality monitoring program.
Environmental Education Resource Guide of Tampa Bay	$4,800.00	Suncoast Earth Force, St. Petersburg The Environmental Education Resource Guide of Tampa Bay will be a searchable Internet-enabled database accessible to Earth Force educators, as well as educators throughout Tampa Bay and other environmental organizations. The resource guide will include contact information, programs offered, availability of guest speakers, education curricula, materials and more.
Cabbage Key Coastal Habitat Restoration	$7,500.00	Tampa Bay Watch, Inc., Tierra Verde This restoration site encompasses approximately 44 acres of sensitive coastal habitat on Cabbage Key in southwest Pinellas County. Its unique habitats include mangroves, lower-salinity tidal wetlands, and upland areas of mature live oaks and pines. Grant funds will be used to purchase native plants as part of a comprehensive restoration effort.
Updated Frog Listening Network Exhibit at Lowry Park Zoo	$5,100.00	Hillsborough River Greenways Task Force, Tampa Funds for this project will be used to update and reprint the Frog Listening Network Field Identification Cards in the Lowry Park Zoo exhibit.
Manatees and the Estuary: Making the Connection	$5,846.00	TECO Manatee Viewing Center and School District of Hillsborough County Hillsborough County art students will learn about estuaries through presentations, research, materials, videos and guided field trips to the TECO Manatee Viewing Center and the newly restored Schultz Nature Preserve adjacent to the viewing center. Each student will contribute on-site journal entries, and each class will submit a documentary CD. Accepted projects will be displayed at the Manatee Viewing Center, TECO Plaza Atrium art gallery and the main lobby at the County Center in Tampa.
Clam Bayou Marine Education Center Coastal Restoration Project	$7,500.00	UFS’s College of Marine Science, St. Petersburg The Clam Bayou Marine Education Center, located in south St. Petersburg, will be the site of a demonstration project focusing on the environmental and economic value of creating and maintaining a native Florida landscape. Components of the restoration include planting native, drought-resistant plants, creating footpaths of porous materials, producing plant identifications guides and developing educational curriculum.

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