SFEP Small and Micro Grants Program
In 2013, the San Francisco Estuary Partnership announced the launch of the Small and Micro Grants Program to help protect and improve watershed health around the San Francisco Estuary. The total amount available for 2013 was $50,000 for both small grants (up to $5,000) and micro-grants (up to $1,000).
SFEP awarded small grants to ten Bay Area entities, including local creek groups, non-profits, and special districts working in watersheds across the Bay Area.
This was the first round of awards for the Estuary Partnership’s Watershed Program, which designed the grant around two of its primary goals: 1) building support for community-based approaches to watershed protection and restoration; and 2) increasing watershed resilience and capacity to adapt to the effects of climate change. Recipients were selected based on several parameters including relevance to these goals, local support and capacity, sustainability, and originality.
Grants were awarded to the following projects (click on the project name for more information):
- Citizen Science for the Stevens and Permanente Creek Watersheds, Santa Clara County (Acterra) – Monthly water quality monitoring, macro invertebrate sampling, education events for children, students, and local residents.
- Permanente Creek Watershed Tour, Santa Clara County (Committee for Green Foothills) – Watershed tour for community members, elected officials and environmental activists, highlighting watershed management, habitat restoration, current issues, climate change impacts and the historical ecology.
- Supporting Volunteer-led Efforts at Sausal Creek Restoration Sites, Alameda County (Friends of Sausal Creek) – Train and mentor volunteer leaders who will lead restoration work at several locations on Sausal Creek watershed.
- Increasing Community-Based Watershed Stewardship in the Gallinas Creek Watershed and Facilitating Collaboration among Marin County Watershed Groups (Gallinas Watershed Council) – Sponsor family activities, hikes, bike tours, and creek cleanups, and coordination of work with other watershed groups.
- The Sea Party, Marin County (Greenwood School) – Event organized by 7th and 8th grade students as part of Earth Day Marin Festival: Climate Change Solutions Day of Action.
- New Leaf Watershed Science Projects, Contra Costa County (Martinez Unified School District) – Support Eco literacy projects, monitoring, public engagement, and climate change education initiatives.
- Building a Community Rain Garden, Growing Community Stormwater Awareness, Napa County (Napa County Flood Control and Water Conservation District) – Build community rain garden around an existing storm drain on the Vintage High School campus. The first demonstration garden in the Napa River watershed.
- The California Phenology Project, Solano County (Solano Land Trust) – Measure climate change and its biological impact using Citizen Scientist volunteers and share data with the USA National Phenology Network.
- Restoring Rheem Creek at Wanlass Park, The Watershed Project — Complete three projects that collectively made up the New Leaf Watershed Science Projects: Ecoliteracy Peer Mentoring, Climate Careers, and the Community Science Workshop.