Schools Receive Pollinator Habitat Grants

Imperiled insect pollinators and monarch butterflies will get some help from high school students this year.

Sand County Foundation is awarding pollinator habitat grants to agriculture and science programs at 21 high schools in Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. Each school district or FFA chapter will receive prairie seeds and seedlings, a consultation, and $1,000 to support project expenses.

The selected schools are:

ILLINOIS

• Brownstown High School, Brownstown
• Eisenhower High School, Decatur
• Libertyville High School, Libertyville

IOWA

• South Winneshiek Community School, Calmar
• Lynnville-Sully High School, Lynnville-Sully
• Manson Northwest Webster Junior/High School, Manson
• Stanton Community Schools, Stanton
• Underwood High School, Underwood

MICHIGAN

• Clarkston High School, Clarkston
• Ravenna High School, Ravenna

MINNESOTA

• Alexandria Area High School, Alexandria
• Bertha-Hewitt Public School, Bertha
• Duluth East High School, Duluth
• Hutchinson High School, McLeod
• Thomas Edison High School, Minneapolis

WISCONSIN

• Cambridge High School, Cambridge
• Ozaukee High School, Fredonia
• Independence High School, Independence
• Indian Trail High School & Academy, Kenosha
• Sauk Prairie High School, Prairie du Sac
• Waupun Area Junior & Senior High School, Waupun

“Students will germinate and grow native plants in late winter, and plant them outside in the spring as an experiential learning opportunity,” said Haley Diem, Sand County Foundation school grant program coordinator.

“Insect pollinators are essential for crop pollination and ecological diversity. In recent years their numbers are low partly due to loss of native wildflower habitat, especially in the agricultural landscape,” Diem explained. “We encourage applicants to partner with landowners to establish pollinator habitat on agricultural and other working lands.”

Pollinator habitat grant program sponsors include: Syngenta, Enel North America, Monarch Joint Venture, U.S. Forest Service International Programs, Wisconsin Public Service Foundation, and We Energies Foundation.

"Enel understands the fundamental role pollinators play in our natural world. We’ve incorporated pollinator habitats into solar projects, recognizing that renewable energy can not only reduce carbon emissions but also support the ecosystems surrounding these projects," said Jesse Puckett, Director of Sustainability Projects and Community Affairs for Enel North America, Inc. "We’re honored to support this important program and are grateful for the Sand County Foundation’s work to engage high schoolers in developing pollinator habitats.”

Educators and landowners interested in becoming involved in the project are encouraged to contact Haley Diem at hdiem@sandcountyfoundation.org for more information.

In addition to the grant program, all teachers can access a Pollinator Habitat Curriculum Guide developed through a partnership between Sand County Foundation and Earth Partnership at the University of Wisconsin. The guide’s 28 activities, aligned with state and national education standards, engage students in planning, establishing, managing, and monitoring prairie habitat for insect pollinators and grassland birds. The guide is available for free download at https://bit.ly/2JHdq1u.

Sand County Foundation is a national non-profit that champions voluntary conservation practices by farmers, ranchers, and forestland owners to improve soil, water and wildlife habitat.