Thirteen organizations across the state are using this year’s Ohio Environmental Protection Agency environmental education grants to support projects involving habitat restoration, sustainability, litter control, biodiversity, butterflies, and more.

  • Girl Scouts of Northeast Ohio (Summit County) is receiving $31,175 to support creation of a nutrient, stormwater, and habitat restoration program for hands-on activities at three regional Girl Scout camps.
  • Clermont Soil and Water Conservation District (Clermont and Hamilton counties) is receiving $20,000 for two training workshops focusing on how to get people to change their habits and focus on environmental sustainability. Additionally, the Clermont SWCD will develop a campaign to reduce nutrients in stormwater runoff from residential lawns.
  • Cincinnati Chapter – Izaak Walton League (Clermont and Hamilton counties) is using the $39,758 grant to re-start the “Saturday Stream Snapshot” citizen water quality monitoring program on the Lower Little Miami River. Data collected by citizens will educate the public about how nutrients can lower water quality, identify nutrient pollution sources, and educate the public about practices to reduce nutrients.
  • Mill Creek Alliance (Hamilton County) is receiving $48,064 to continue an outdoor environmental education program that brings area students to restoration sites in the Mill Creek Watershed to work on water quality, stream bank stability, restoration, and data collection.
  • University of Akron (Cuyahoga and Summit counties) is receiving $50,000 to develop innovative projects inspired by nature, and improve perspectives on science, technology, engineering, and math in underrepresented groups. The project also supports participation in the university’s nature clubs for youth.
  • University of Cincinnati – College of Education, Criminal Justice and Human Services (CECH) (Hamilton County) is receiving $28,871 to study habitat restoration by recording the calls of bats outside of 10 schools that are surrounded by wildlife habitat. Fifth graders participating in the program are learning about technology, the principles of sound waves, and critical thinking.
  • Youngstown City Health District (Mahoning County) is receiving $5,000 to start a “Litter League” to hold a citywide cleanup and educate residents about litter.
  • Proctor Camp and Conference Center (Madison County) is receiving $5,000 to construct a boardwalk through 70 acres of seasonal wetlands. The project includes teaching space and educational placards with the potential to reach more than 1,280 campers annually.
  • Archbishop Carroll High School (Montgomery County) is receiving $3,442 for an interactive tank farming program that will teach students about sustainable agriculture and how food is grown.
  • Friends of the Lower Olentangy (FLOW) (Delaware and Franklin counties) is receiving $5,000 to educate more than 2,000 home sewage treatment system owners about regularly maintaining their septic systems using. FLOW is reaching out directly to homeowners with mailers, website, and public workshops.
  • Our Lady of Perpetual Help School (Franklin County) is receiving $2,005 to support installation of a monarch butterfly habitat. Students are learning the causes behind the monarch population decline and their complex annual migration cycle.
  • Metro Schools – Metro Early College School (Franklin County) is receiving $999 for equipment to measure water quality in ponds. Students are collecting data each semester in an ongoing project.
  • Holden Forests and Gardens (Adams, Ashtabula, Athens, Belmont, Coshocton, Cuyahoga, Fairfield, Franklin, Gallia, Guernsey, Hocking, Jackson, Licking, Meigs, Morgan, Muskingum, Noble, Perry, Pickaway, Trumbull, Tuscarawas, Vinton, and Washington counties) is receiving $5,000 to develop and provide resources to Ohio landowners, small businesses, and the public to encourage sustainable practices that protect forest habitat and natural resources. The project focuses on sustainable cultivation of forests and forest products that will help communities in northeast and Appalachian Ohio.

The next grant application deadline is January 2024. More information is available on the Ohio Environmental Education website.