Cawaco RC&D

10/12/2022

We were in Blount County last week to celebrate the completion of eleven grants that were completed in 2022 and totaled over $75,000. Thanks to everyone who came out! We greatly appreciate Rep. David Standridge and Senator Shay Shelnutt for joining us at this event. We cannot do what we do without their support and leadership!
Present at the event were:
Abby Hill of Holly Springs Volunteer Fire Department, Mari Brindle and Steven Guesman from Friends of the Locust Fork River, Chase Moore of the Community Arts Council of Blount County, Kim Russell with Pine Mountain Community Center, Remlap, Al, Mitchie Neel with The Blount County Education Foundation Inc., Debbie Graves of Blountsville Public Library, and Kirk Smith with Susan Moore HS.

Board members Doug Smith and Chris Green represented Cawaco.

Royal Volunteer Fire Department, Hayden Police Department, Oneonta Fire and Rescue Service, Susan Moore Volunteer Fire Department were not present.

Cawaco RC&D appreciates every one of these fantastic organizations and the work they are doing in Blount County!

10/07/2022

This is Abby Hill from Holly Springs Fire Department in Blount County showing off her new turnout gear that was made possible through a Cawaco Grant.
Abby grew up in a fire station and has a heart dedicated to volunteerism. She loves the Holly Springs community!
We are always impressed by the young leaders in Blount County and Abby is no exception.

10/06/2022

This is an example of what a tiny mini grant can do! These raised beds were built with funds from a Cawaco grant! Check out this harvest! Wow!

10/04/2022

What a great story!

10/03/2022

Cawaco is hiring!
Cawaco is hiring 2 new positions to support out new program: Cool Green Trees. With support from the Jefferson County Department of Health we will start a tree planting program to fulfill the data driven case for trees from data generated for StoryMap Cool Green Birmingham.
Go to our website for more info!

https://cawaco.org/cawaco-is-hiring/

10/01/2022

The Walker County Center Of Technology Automotive Technology Program is excited to announce that they have been awarded an educational grant through CAWACO . This grant will provide students the opportunity to transform this 1998 Toyota Tacoma into a modern EV ( ELECTRIC VEHICLE) . Please follow our page to keep up with progress.

09/30/2022

Apply for Funding - SeedMoney

EVEN MORE GARDEN OPPORTUNITIES!!
Support Available for Food Garden Projects
SeedMoney: Grants for Garden Projects
SeedMoney is a nonprofit helping U.S. and global food garden projects to thrive. SeedMoney offers challenge grants to food garden projects through a 30-day crowdfunding challenge running from November 15 to December 15, 2022. Grants are open to all types of public food garden projects, including youth gardens, community gardens, food bank gardens, school gardens, etc., regardless of their location. For 2022, 370 grants ranging from $100 to $1,000 and totaling over $75,000 will be provided. The size of a grant depends on how much a project raises over the 30-day crowdfunding challenge period compared to other participating projects. The following types of grants are provided: Challenge Grants, Strong Start Grants, and Geographic Interest Grants. Applications are due November 12, 2022, and on November 15, all funding campaigns whose applications were submitted on time and fit the criteria will go live for the crowdfunding challenge. Visit the SeedMoney website for more information.

THE 2022 SEEDMONEY CHALLENGE IS ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS! Each year, SeedMoney offers challenge grants to diverse food garden projects through a 30-day crowdfunding challenge running from Nov 15 to Dec 15. Our grants are open to all types of public food ... Read More

09/28/2022

On September 20, we visited The Elder Justice Center in Montevallo to meet with Shelby County grantees to announce the completion of grants that were awarded to Middle AL Area Agency on Aging,
University of Montevallo- Environmental Education Program, North Shelby Fire District, Shelby County Career Technical Education Center, Thompson High School, HIPPY Shelby County, Evangel Christian School and Calera Main Street.
Joining us were Representatives Corley Ellis , Russell Bedsole, Arnold Mooney, Kenneth Paschal and Senator April Weaver. Our legislators are instrumental in what we do and assure our funding for these local projects every year! THANK YOUR LOCAL OFFICIALS when you receive funds from RC&D. Grants for Shelby County projects totaled almost $61,000.00.

09/26/2022

Did you know? The Cawaco grant program helped improve 19 public facilities in 2022! Learn more about the grant program AND all the other Cawaco initiatives!

09/21/2022

Next Friday! Come out and learn from the experts! Find agenda and registration here: https://sway.office.com/p3byxMeUBzYNoDje?ref=Link

Turkey Creek Nature Preserve Freshwater Land Trust Alabama Rivers and Streams Network

09/19/2022

ATTENTION TEACHERS!!! GRANT OPPORTUNITY !
Budding Botanist Grant
The Klorane Botanical Foundation is committed to supporting programs that teach respect for the environment and protect nature through the preservation of plant species and biodiversity. Designed to further their mission, the Budding Botanist Grant will help students learn about plants, explore their world and inspire them to take care of the life they discover in their local ecosystems.

In late 2022, twenty high-need schools across the United States will be awarded $1,000 in grant funding to support their youth garden programs.

Eligibility
Any public school, charter school, or private school serving students in grades K to 12 in the United States that can demonstrate that at least 40% of their student population would qualify for free or reduced-price meals is eligible to apply. Applicants must be planning a new or expanding an existing school garden program designed to teach students about environmental sustainability and the importance of biodiversity.

Previous Budding Botanist winners are not eligible.

We prioritize the following when selecting winners…
Beyond the best fit with the Budding Botanist grant focus on environmental sustainability and biodiversity, the selection of winners is prioritized based on demonstrated need and program impact. KidsGardening considers a variety of factors when determining needs, including:

Socioeconomic & Sociodemographic Factors: Does the program exist within or engage a community that has systematically been denied resources, whether they be physical assets and money or representative leadership and community services?

Program Funding and Support: Does a program have access to consistent substantial monetary support and/or prior grant funding? Are pre-existing resources (monetary or otherwise) limited? Programs experiencing the latter are considered of higher need.

Impact: Will grant funding dramatically expand learning opportunities for program participants? Does the intended impact reflect the true needs of the community?

Award Packages
20 schools will receive $1,000 in funding to support the development of new and expansion of existing gardens that teach students about environmental sustainability and the importance of biodiversity.

One winner will be selected to host a small garden celebration with the help of KidsGardening, Klorane, and the Klorane Botanical Foundation in either May or June of 2023. The school will receive an additional $500 in funding.

How to apply
The deadline for application submission is Friday, October 14, 2022, at 11:59 pm PST.

All applications must be submitted online. You can download a copy of the questions to view ahead of time as a Word document or PDF file. We strongly advise saving the questions and then copying and pasting the answers into the application rather than composing your answers directly into the online form. Many browsers are set to timeout after 30 minutes of inactivity (or sometimes sooner) and so you may lose your work if it takes longer than your browser's setting to complete or save your entry.
https://form.jotform.com/222407095167153

08/31/2022

Growing Communities!

Cawaco has been awarded a USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service grant to expand and support community gardens! Most other RC&D Councils throughout the state are participating as well!

This project provides a mechanism to support Alabama’s urban/rural/school/community/veteran gardening activities through distribution of vegetable seed that are either donated or purchased.
It also offers mini grants (under $2000) to schools and community gardens state-wide to start new gardens or support existing gardens. :-)

In 2023, we will be hosting a minimum of 2 virtual meetings with NRCS that focus on the following topics:

*Establishment of urban agricultural practices and financial and technical resources that are available through USDA-NRCS in Alabama.

*Increase the awareness of students’ knowledge of NRCS career opportunities.

08/29/2022

Cawaco reviews $67,541 in projects for Walker County

We appreciate all the hard work from each of these folks in Walker County! They all work to improve their communities and make life better for everyone. We are also grateful for Senator Reed for staying active in the communities and working with us and these organizations to secure them the resources they need. We look forward to next year and getting to know Rep. Woods!

The Cawaco Resource Conservation & Development (RC&D) Council on Thursday, Aug. 25, held its annual review of Walker County projects that the agency funded over the past year, for a total of $67,541 invested in the county.

08/26/2022

Cawaco Supports Trail Building Projects!
Thanks to our partners at Turkey Creek Nature Preserve who maintain and schedule the use of the tools, Cawaco offers tools for trails all over Alabama! Tools are used by volunteer groups to clear trails or remove invasive plants. A deposit is required to use the tools.

08/24/2022

Cawaco is involved! Through our Environmental Specialist Francesca Gross , Cawaco plans and implements community projects all over the Birmingham area.

08/22/2022

Cawaco Partnerships
Cawaco provides administrative and project support to the Alabama Rivers and Streams Network. The Network is an informal group that shares information regarding:

*Threatened, endangered and at-risk species,
*Cooperative opportunities for sampling or performing assessments, and
*Cooperative opportunities to implement on the ground projects that improve habitat for at-risk species.

The Network is comprised of entities who comply with or regulate the Endangered Species Act:
*US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS)
*Geological Survey of Alabama
*Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources
*Alabama Department of Environmental Management
*Public Utilities
*Forestry Services
*Consulting Groups
*Nonprofit Organizations
*Universities and Colleges

08/19/2022

Did you know? Cawaco is all about partnerships!

We partner with the following agencies:

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Partners for Fish & Wildlife Program

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Daphne Field Office

Geological Survey of Alabama

Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources

The Nature Conservancy

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Fish Passage Program

Freshwater Land Trust

Auburn University Alabama Water Resource Center

USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service

National Fish & Wildlife Foundation

Turkey Creek Nature Preserve

Your Town Alabama

University of Alabama Center for Economic Development

State of Alabama, Department of Labor Abandoned Mine Land Reclamation Office

The World Games

Alabama Rivers & Streams Network

The Holle Family Foundation

UAB Sustainable Smart Cities Research Center, Grand Challenge

Birmingham Sunrise Rotary Club

Jefferson County Department of Health

08/16/2022

Jefferson County Conservation District was awarded a grant for support of an anti-litter, stormwater-protection video competition for public high schools in Jefferson County. Aimed at young drivers, the contest asks them to produce a short video to educate their family and friends about the negative impacts of litter and how it relates to stormwater. Cash prizes were awarded based on the number of likes received during the competitions designated time frame. Each school competed against the other schools in their watershed for cash prizes and a chance to be featured on local television.

08/13/2022

WAY TO GO MONTEVALLO! The Environmental Education Program at the University of Montevallo was awarded a grant from CAWACO to provide hands-on, experiential learning opportunities to the students of Montevallo City Schools. The grant funded field trips, classroom visits, and summer day camp programs for our community’s youth. Overall, we were able to serve 102 students this year. The topics covered a wide range of environmental science concepts that meet Alabama state education standards for their respective grade levels. The high school students tested the water quality of Shoal Creek and discussed the impacts for the larger watershed. The second graders made observations about the primary rocks that make up central Alabama’s geography and made face paint with them! During summer camp, students were able to visit Ebenezer Swamp Ecological Preserve and explore the great biodiversity that can be found right here in Montevallo, AL. We also took a field trip to the James Wylie Shepherd Observatory and looked through a solar telescope to see the surface of the sun.

08/10/2022

Cawaco proudly supports the College Choice Foundation's Bateman Scholars Program. The Bateman Scholars program assists high-achieving, under-represented students from less-resourced backgrounds in securing admission to the most-affordable college that best suits them, which ensures students graduate with a BA/BS having incurred minimal debt

08/08/2022

Thanks to grants from Alabama Association of RC&D Councils and USDA NRCS, Cawaco partners with Northwest Alabama RC&D Council AMRV RC&D Mid-South RC&D Ala-Tom RC & D Council Wiregrass RC&DGulf Coast RC&D Coosa Valley RC&D and Tombigbee RC&D to provide vegetable seeds to schools, community gardens and veterans at no cost. Funds also provide mini-grants for garden-related expenses. The goal is to empower communities and schools to grow fresh local produce that can be shared, eaten, and even sold to generate income for their programs. The project also has the added benefit of exposing students to agricultural career opportunities!

08/05/2022

Cawaco Builds Trails
In 2011, Cawaco received a grant from the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs to purchase and equip a trailer to assist groups in developing and maintaining recreational trails. Volunteers can borrow the Tool Trailer and its hand tools for trail building, garden improvement and invasive species removal. Thanks to our partners at Turkey Creek Nature Preserve for their hard work maintaining and scheduling the tools for use!

08/03/2022

DID YOU KNOW? Cawaco doesn't just offer grants to nonprofits and municipalities. We also provides administrative services such as contract management, grant administration and program development to other nonprofits and partners.

Our vision is to develop vibrant communities that achieve balance between economic, human, and natural resource needs. We work to identify unmet community needs and develop solutions to meet those needs. This is achieved through helping others accomplish their mission by administering grant programs and coordinating, developing and delivering on-the-ground projects. Current strategic goals include:

*Support projects that provide education for job creation and job development.

*Support projects that preserve community character

*Support projects that develop or conserve natural resources and associated occupations

*Preserve and assist with the development of public access to open space and recreation

*Support projects that build capacity for first responders.

08/01/2022

PROJECT HIGHLIGHT! Banks Academy is ensuring that students do not fall behind in reading and math skills through utilizing Edgenuity learning systems. This system assess and creates a custom learning plan to remediate and advance students skills to be at or above grade level when graduating. Our goal is to have students fully prepared to enter college or the workforce. A grant from Cawaco paid for the software.

07/31/2022

The Pine Mountain Community Center Playground has been a dream of our organization for several years. We are so excited to finally be able to provide a place for the children of our community to enjoy playing while creating memories for their whole families. We wouldn’t have been able to get this done without the grant from Cawaco RC&D.

07/29/2022

Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters-This program is a home-based, parent involvement program that brings early learning educational materials into the homes of those most at risk due to poverty, lack of parent education and social isolation. "HIPPY" is designed to assist the families in Shelby County AL Schools with kindergarten readiness. It is one of several models used by the First Teacher Home Visiting Program, Alabama Department of Early Childhood Education. CAWACO enriches the program by providing additional funds used to purchase the curriculum and other learning activities such as manipulative shapes, blocks and books.

07/26/2022

Grant Reports are due July 31! Don't wait to submit your report.

07/22/2022

Grant Project Highlight! Summer Learning is a project of the The Blount County Education Foundation providing great summer learning opportunities for students of Blount County Alabama Schools. The camps served over 1,000 students this year, and and grant from Cawaco makes supplies, resources, attendance incentives, and staff possbile! BCEF is grateful for the tremendous support of Cawaco through this grant!

07/20/2022

Grant Project Highlight! Alzheimer's of Central Alabama (ACA) Project Lafesaver: The primary mission of Project Lifesaver is to provide timely response to save lives and reduce potential injury for adults and children with the propensity to wander due to a cognitive condition. With this grant ACA has purchased 30 transmitter kits along with supplies such as bands, bracelets, and batteries. ACA staff jointly manages this program along with the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office.