August 24, 2005
Prairie Pathfinders is one of 19 organizations sharing $240,300 in funding for its publication through the Sustainable Development Innovations Fund (SDIF), Conservation Minister Stan Struthers announced today.
“The Prairie Pathfinders book, Manitoba Walks, is an excellent source for Manitobans who want to enjoy a personal experience in our natural areas,” said Struthers. “Our government promotes healthy living choices and this publication provides useful information to help enjoy a healthy activity in Manitoba’s open spaces.”
Prairie Pathfinders will receive $5,000 to publish the second edition of Manitoba Walks. This updated version will have more features including additional routes and trails, new photographs, improved maps and points for satellite-based Global Positioning System users.
The fund supports a range of projects from research studies and demonstrations of new technology, to community enhancement and environmental awareness.
“This round of grants includes a wide variety or projects, such as development of a junior version of a global change game, woodland caribou studies, a Senior 4 studies program based on environmental sciences and a First Nation-sponsored research project on global warming impacts on traditional fishing grounds,” said Struthers. “The variety of projects is encouraging as they show creativity and concern for our environment.”
The minister noted the fund has helped communities meet their needs by providing grant funding to projects that demonstrate:
partnerships between groups and individuals,
pride in the community,
concern for the environment, and
long-term sustainability.
Funding is provided by Manitoba Conservation through the SDIF which supports the development, implementation and promotion of environmental innovation and sustainable development projects.
Municipalities, local governments, First Nation communities, private and non-profit organizations, youth groups, community associations and educational institutions are eligible for funding. Annual intake dates for the SDIF Open Category are April 15, June 15, Aug. 15, Oct. 15 and Dec. 15. Funding decisions are made six to eight weeks after the submission date.
Other programs under the fund are the Waste Reduction and Pollution Prevention Fund, the Environmental Youth Corps and the Manitoba Climate Change Action Fund. Information on these programs is available at http://www.susdev.gov.mb.ca.
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Sustainable Development Innovations Fund
Funded Projects
Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS), Manitoba Chapter - $10,000 to produce an educational resource. The Cottager’s Green Guide will identify practices and products that can be used to benefit ecosystems in cottage areas.
Churchill Northern Studies Centre - $13,300 to investigate the effects of climate change by monitoring ecosystem responses from a changing climate in the arctic tree line transition zone. Freshwater lakes and ponds will be monitored to identify key indicators of change.
Global Change Game Inc. - $5,000 to develop Global Change Game Junior, an interactive, hands-on global learning game for early-middle year students. Similar to the Global Change Game, a live-action simulation will enable younger players to participate and will be provided with an opportunity to explore the future through teamwork, negotiation and hands-on problem-solving.
Grant Park High School - $10,000 to develop and implement an Advanced Placement Environmental Science program for Senior 4 students. Students will learn the science behind environmental issues by applying chemistry and biology knowledge, as well as the principles of experimental science through course and field work.
Manitoba Model Forest Inc. - $25,000 in conjunction with the Eastern Manitoba Woodland Caribou Advisory Committee to continue with research, management and conservation activities for woodland caribou populations east of Lake Winnipeg.
Manitoba Model Forest Inc. - $11,500 to continue study of the ecology of boreal lakes, rivers and streams and directly involve First Nation youth in monitoring and management of aquatic resources.
The Manitoba Purple Loosestrife Project - $6,500 to develop and implement an online educational outreach program on invasive aquatic and wetland plants, such as purple loosestrife and flowering rush, that are threatening Manitoba ecosystems.
Mediation Services - $4,000 to develop and implement the Livestock Facilitation Community Consultation (LFCC) Program that will enable municipalities and producers to conduct community consultation processes on proposed livestock applications in their area.
Prairie Pathfinders - $5,000 to publish the second edition of Manitoba Walks. The book will be updated with expanded content including additional routes and trails, new photographs, improved maps and points for satellite-based Global Positioning Systems (GPS) users.
Sturgeon Creek Association - $25,000 to restore and enhance the riparian (shoreline) zones of the Lower Assiniboine Watershed by planting native trees and shrubs along Sturgeon, Truro and Omand’s Creeks, and Bruce Park, as well as expanding the no-mow buffer zone and monitoring fish, birds and dragonflies.
Swampy Cree Tribal Council Inc. - $25,000 to conduct a study to preserve traditional ecological knowledge of northern commercial fishers of the nine member communities of the Swampy Cree Tribal Council. The waters and commercial fisheries aspect of traditional lands will be studied to determine impacts of global warming on northern fishing grounds as a traditional resource.
Thompson Homelessness Project Inc. - $11,600 to assist with the second year of a pilot project to employ homeless people in community clean-up and improvement activities.
University of Manitoba, Department of Biosystems Engineering - $23,000 to conduct research and evaluate how Netley-Libau Marsh can be used to improve the quality of water flowing from the Red River into Lake Winnipeg.
University of Manitoba, Department of City Planning - $9,300 to produce and publish a series of green building and sustainable planning articles.
University of Manitoba, Faculty of Environment, Earth and Resources - $10,000 to research the role of holistic management as an innovative stewardship approach for promoting environmentally, socially and economically-sound decisions and actions on the farm.
University of Manitoba, Faculty of Environment, Earth and Resources - $20,000 to conduct an ecological evaluation of urban prairie restorations and rehabilitation projects to determine the extent and condition of urban prairie sites, as well as factors contributing to its success: species composition and diversity, density and vegetation cover.
University of Manitoba, Department of Soil Science - $16,500 to study the rate of manure nutrient mineralization to determine manure nutrient availability to plants and the appropriate rate of manure application to soil. A model will be developed to predict available nutrients from manure, given weather and soil information.
Vincent Massey Collegiate - $5,000 to demonstrate that non-polluting, environmentally sustainable energy can be integrated into the power grid of an existing building (the school) through the use of an alternative energy array, consisting of a small-scale wind turbine and an array of photovoltaic cells.
Whitemouth Reynolds Soil and Water Conservation Association - $4,600 to conduct water-quality monitoring along the Whitemouth River to determine baseline levels of water-quality indicators. The Whitemouth River empties into the Winnipeg River, which empties into Lake Winnipeg.