2019 Small Grants Support Local Farms, Native Plant Restoration, Outdoor Classroom

LOVELAND, Colo. – Larimer County Natural Resources is proud to announce $20,783 in grants to support eight community and neighborhood projects that help educate and connect people to the land.

The awards were given to a wide range of organizations across Larimer County through the department's Small Grants for Community Partnering program.

The 2019 grantees, projects, amounts and locations include:

Project Applicant	Project Name	Amount Funded	Project Location
Colorado Native Plant Society	Native Plant Restoration at River's Edge Natural Area	$3,000	Loveland
Colorado Youth Outdoors	Colorado Youth Outdoors Outdoor Education and Team Building Trail	$3,000	Windsor
The Growing Project	The Growing Project Community Garden at FoCo Café	$3,000	Fort Collins
Ivy Stockwell PTO	Ivy Stockwell Outdoor Classroom, Phase Four, Meadow Installation	$2,024	Berthoud
Oakridge 7 HOA	Oakridge Ash-Shadow Tree Planting Party with Xeric Education	$2,987.24	Fort Collins
Raisin' Roots Farm	Extension of Growing Season for Provision of Fresh Produce to Larimer County	$2,996.17	Fort Collins
Rocky Mountain Raptor Program	Rocky Mountain Raptor Program Educational Outreach	$1,500	Northern Colorado
Sproutin' Up Corporation	Sproutin' Up Farm Expansion	$2,275	Fort Collins

Small Grants for Community Partnering is an initiative of Larimer County Natural Resources to disperse a portion of Help Preserve Open Spaces sales tax dollars for projects that:

Enhance natural areas
Create public linkages with existing open lands and parks
Offer opportunities for environmental education, outdoor recreation or nature interpretation
Provide opportunities for people to connect with the land through agriculture or increased access to open spaces and natural areas
Develop new research on Larimer County open spaces

Annually, $20,000 is set aside from the tax funds for grant awards each year. Since 2008, Larimer County has awarded $308,583 for 200 community and neighborhood projects.

Learn more about the Small Grants for Community Partnering program.

Volunteer Gary Light helps plant a demonstration garden at the Loveland Visitor Center. In 2017, Larimer County’s Small Grants program supported this Habitat Hero planting project, a core program of Audubon Rockies, using bird-friendly plants that provide
In 2017, Larimer County’s Small Grants program funded three mountain ecosystem interpretive signs directly adjacent to the natural play area at the Red Feather Lakes Community Library. Photo © Red Feather Lakes Community Library
In 2017, Larimer County’s Small Grants program supported the Teens for Food Justice program, which helps at-risk teens fulfill community services hours while learning about various aspects of our food system and food justice. Photo © The Growing Project