2022 first quarter grant applications were presented and voted on at the February 22, 2022 AZSFWC Board meeting. Funding for the grants is available through sales of our special Conserving Wildlife license plate. More information about the license plate and how you can obtain one can be found HERE.
Five grants were approved and included the following:
$15,000 was awarded to Southern AZ Chapter Quail Forever for the Coronado National Forest Grassland Restoration project. Decades of drought, altered fire regimes due to fire suppression, loss of perennial flow, topsoil erosion, and historic unsustainable land-uses have left the grasslands and woodlands of SE Arizona severely compromised. This project will include the building of erosion control structures, seeding of the structures, and fuel reduction. Funding partners include National Forest Foundation Grants, Southern Chapter Quail Forever with in-kind donations from the Borderlands Restorations Network.
$10,000 was awarded to Arizona Outdoor Adventures for their Youth Camps in 2022. These camps introduce youth to and fosters a lifelong connection with nature, exposing them to the peace and quiet of the outdoors. Campers experience tent camps and participate in a variety of outdoor activities. Campfire talks and “teachable moments” while hiking and fishing provide opportunities for the youth to connect with knowledgeable and caring adults who model stewardship and impart information about the natural environment. The campers learn respect for themselves, others and the environment; how to make constructive life choices; and responsibility and cooperation with their families and authority figures.
$12,515 was awarded to Friends of the Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge (BANWR) for the Lower San Luis Well Development habitat project. BANWR has struggled to maintain water on the landscape during the ongoing drought as four wells have run dry. The recently constructed San Luis Well is in need of a solar pump and holding tank for water storage to make it fully operational. Funding partners include BANWAR, Quail Forever, and Alter Valley Conservation Alliance.
$6,535 was awarded to Arizona Council of Trout Unlimited to support their 2021-2022 Trout in the Classroom education program (TIC). TIC is a well-established environmental education program created and conducted throughout the US for trout and salmon and is in more than 4, 000 classrooms. Students in grades 4 – 12 are involved in hands on experiences to:
▪ raise trout from eggs to fry
▪ monitor tank water quality
▪ engage in stream habitat study
▪ learn to appreciate water resources
▪ begin to foster a conservation ethic
▪ grow to understand ecosystems
Funding will not only support continuation of the program in existing schools in Arizona, but will also provide expansion to new schools. Partners include Arizona Game and Fish Department the Trout Unlimited Council and Chapters of Arizona.
$7,600 was awarded to the AZ Chapter of the Wild Turkey Federation for their annual Marvin Robbins 2022 Youth Turkey Camps. These family oriented camps introduce youth turkey hunters and their families to spring turkey hunting. Camps include meals, instruction in safe firearms handling, patterning shotguns, ethics, species biology, turkey behavior and hunting techniques, the role of conservation organizations in funding wildlife and habitat conservation, and the North American Model of Conservation. Each youth hunter and their parent/guardian will be assisted by volunteer mentors from participating organizations such as AZ State Chapter NWTF, AZ Elk Society, AZ Deer Association, Phoenix Varmint Callers and the AZ Game & Fish Department. Funding partners include AZ Chapter NWTF, AZ Elk Society, NWTF.