Photo by Sand County Foundation.
Sand County Foundation is awarding pollinator habitat grants to agriculture and science programs at 16 high schools in Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin.
This competitive grant program gives high school students hands-on experience growing native wildflowers and establishing habitat for imperiled insect pollinators and monarch butterflies.
Grant recipients receive native seeds and seedlings, consultation, and $1,000 to support project expenses.
Insect pollinators are essential for crop pollination and ecological diversity. In recent years their populations have declined partly due to loss habitat, especially in the agricultural landscape.
“Students will germinate and grow native plants over the winter, and plant them outside in the spring as an experiential learning opportunity,” says Haley Diem, Sand County Foundation school grant program coordinator. “We encourage applicants to partner with landowners to establish pollinator habitat on agricultural and other working lands.”
The selected schools in Wisconsin are:
- Amery High School, Amery
- Clayton High School, Clayton
- La Follette High School, Madison
- Mary D. Bradford High School, Kenosha
- North Division High School, Milwaukee
- Woli/Akii-gikinoo’amaading Environment Charter School, Hayward