2022 School & Community Habitat Grant Awardees
The Washtenaw County Conservation District has announced the awards for the 2nd year of the WCCD School & Community Habitat Grant! We received eleven completed applications and our grant committee selected four organizations' projects to be awarded. The awardees will receive plants and consultations either this fall or next spring.
The 2022 Awardees and their projects include:
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Trinh Pifer Intergenerational Garden, Chelsea - Pollinator Preservation Project
The Intergenerational Garden's mission is to teach children the joys of gardening, make gardening experiences available for seniors, and provide space and activities for multiple generations to enjoy each other’s company. The SCHG helped establish a pollinator garden, with a focus on native host plants for butterflies, moths, and specialist bees, so visitors can learn about pollinators and their associated plants. |
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We the People Opportunity Farm, Ypsilanti - Educational Rain Garden & Pollinator Habitat
WTPOF is a non-profit organization dedicated to breaking the cycle of incarceration in Washtenaw County by investing in the employment and development of formerly incarcerated peoples through farming & community engagement. The SCHG helped support the establishment of a rain garden to capture rainwater runoff from a large parking lot that was destroying crops. |
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Pittsfield Charter Township - Community Center Native Plant Garden
To build and foster sustainable communities for all community members, human and non-human, Parks and Recreation hosted a native planting workshop outside of the Community Center in June. |
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Ypsilanti Community Middle School, Ypsilanti - Wildlife Habitat Courtyard
YCMS wanted a safe environment for students to decompress and learn about nature. This project turned out to be more than the SCHG could fund, but was aided by donations of time, equipment, and expertise from Lotus Gardenscapes and the U-M SEAS Master of Landscape Architecture program. Invasive plants were removed, the site was regraded to make it safe and accessible, and a rain garden was installed. This was an atypical SCHG story, but we are proud to share the transformation and encourage you to watch the video to see for yourself! |
The grant is funded by individual donations and the WCCD milleage funds. Individual donations go a long way for these community organizations to restore and create native plant habitats and educational opportunities, please considering donating to sustain this grant into the future: https://store.washtenawcd.org/products/donate
Grant Partners:
Feral Flora creates living landscapes with a sense of place using native and nearly native plants in a naturalistic style and is one of the consultants working with grant 2022 awardees. Learn more about the company at feral-flora.com. A big thank you to Ashley and Matt!
Feral Flora creates living landscapes with a sense of place using native and nearly native plants in a naturalistic style and is one of the consultants working with grant 2022 awardees. Learn more about the company at feral-flora.com. A big thank you to Ashley and Matt!
We're deeply grateful to Lotus Gardenscapes for volunteering their time and talents! This award-winning landscape design and build firm is located in Dexter, Michigan, and owned by environmental artist Traven Pelletier. They create artistic and distinctive landscapes in the greater Ann Arbor area and ensure each custom design reflects their client’s aesthetic preferences and outdoor lifestyle. Learn more at lotusgardenscapes.com.
Assistant Professor Lisa DuRussel and her graduate students at UM SEAS' Master of Landscape Architecture program have volunteered their design services and labor to help create functional and inspirational spaces! Lisa's practice, Site Science, focuses on research-based design and implementation strategies that integrate deep ecological design principles and amplifies collaborative action with deep community engagement. Many thanks to Lisa and her students!
