Conservation Foundation’s goal is to help educate the public about the land it works to protect
The Gulf Coast Community Foundation, based in Venice, recently awarded a $62,500 grant to the Conservation Foundation of the Gulf Coast to help fund the creation of a new nature interpreter position and program, the Conservation Foundation has announced.
“Supporting Gulf Coast Community Foundation’s Climate Change and Environmental Quality priority, Conservation Foundation’s Nature Interpretation program will provide equitable adult education experiences to educate, empower, and expand conservation understanding in the community,” a news release explains.
“For years we’ve worked to identify and save land that meets our protection criteria,” said Christine P. Johnson, president of the Conservation Foundation, in the release. “But our work doesn’t stop there. To ensure relevancy and future sustainability,” she added, “we need to make sure our community is connected to the land we’re working so hard to conserve. We are grateful to Gulf Coast Community Foundation for investing in our mission and providing resources to help make more of those vital connections possible.”
Since 2003, the Conservation Foundation has protected more than 18,500 acres across 48 properties, adding up to 29 square miles of conserved land, the release points out. “The land Conservation Foundation saves provides sweeping regional benefits, creating wildlife corridors, ensuring clean and plentiful water, providing opportunities for unique public access, and delivering economic and environmental benefits to support resilient communities. The Nature Interpreter will offer the community ways to experience and learn about our natural world as well as how land and water conservation affects their lives,” the release adds.
“The goal is to connect individuals to nature and facilitate a deeper understanding of local habitats, wildlife, and our delicate relationship with the natural world,” the release continues. “The program will engage people from all walks of life to promote awareness and encourage behaviors that counteract the environmental pressures we face,” the release says.
Learn more about the Conservation Foundation’s mission at www.conservationfoundation.com.