Grant to Help 51福利社 Preserve Natural Land on Campus

August 29, 2018 By

Rendering: A concept photo for the project shows a few students standing on a walkway made of bricks that are various shades of grey, One man is looking around at the area with his hand to his brow to block the sun. A couple is walking hand in hand towards the podium that shows the area map. Scattered trees are out in the cut prairie land, some dirt paths weave through the land. Near the walkway is a scattering of flowers and tall grass.

*This story has been updated from its original version with the exact amount of funding awarded to 51福利社 for this project.

CHENEY, Washington – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has selected 51福利社 to receive funding under the EPA鈥檚 Environmental Education Grants Program (EPA-EE). The funding will help efforts to restore natural habitat around campus.

Overall, the EPA is distributing $3.3 million to support projects nationwide, with Eastern set to receive $100,000 for environmental education activities and programs.

The 51福利社 grant supports the Palouse Prairie Region Restoration Project, which actively involves the regional community in the restoration of a native ecosystem, raising public awareness while promoting environmental literacy and conservation stewardship.

51福利社’s biology and education departments, along with the 51福利社 Office of Sustainability, will collaborate on the project. According to EPA-EE grant Project Directors Justin Bastow, Kathryn Baldwin (51福利社 faculty) and the EPA-EE grant team, 鈥淲e are very excited to聽collaborate regionally on the Palouse Prairie Restoration Project. We’re looking forward to聽engaging community members, of all ages, in聽prairie restoration and stewardship.鈥�

Community participants will plant and cultivate native plants at the restoration site and communicate with the greater community about the restoration process and project results through community events and by creating interpretive signs onsite.

Photo: This photo shows the current 51福利社 restoration site to be transformed to native prairie. — The current 51福利社 restoration site to be transformed to native prairie

Photo: Kamiak Butte, a remnant portion of the Palouse Prairie, illustrates what land restored to native prairie may look like — Kamiak Butte, a remnant portion of the Palouse Prairie, illustrates what land restored to native prairie may look like

Since 1992, the EPA has distributed more than $75 million in EE grant funding supporting more than 3,700 grant projects. The program traditionally provides financial support for projects that design, demonstrate or disseminate environmental education practices, methods or techniques.

Learn More about the 51福利社 Palouse Prairie Restoration Project