The teachers and students that Wendy Kedzierski works with through Allegheny College’s Creek Connections program are now able to keep a much more accurate eye on water quality in local streams, thanks to a partnership between local conservationists and the energy industry.
The water monitoring kits were purchased through a grant from the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy and Dominion Energy’s Watershed Mini Grant Program, which provides financial assistance to watershed groups and organizations across the region.
“This grant is important because we are a longtime successful environmental-education project with ongoing costs,” said Kedzierski, project director with the environmental science department at Allegheny College. “When teachers do water monitoring with their students, they quickly use materials in their test kits that need to be replaced. This grant funds those replacements, too.”
The 2019-2020 program is accepting applications for grants of up to $2,000.
The Dominion Energy Charitable Foundation provides financial support for the program. Since 2005, the conservancy has administered more than $400,000 in grants to more than 130 organizations.
“Dominion Energy is committed to environmental conservation through our business operations and by partnering with organizations like the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy,” said Don Houser, Dominion Energy’s state policy advisor. “We are proud to support these grassroots restoration efforts and are inspired by the work happening in our community.”
The program offers funding to watershed groups and organizations in these counties: Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Blair, Butler, Cambria, Cameron, Centre, Clarion, Clearfield, Clinton, Crawford, Elk, Fayette, Franklin, Greene, Indiana, Jefferson, Juniata, Lawrence, McKean, Mercer, Potter, Tioga, Venango, Washington and Westmoreland.
An online application, including proposal guidelines, is available at WaterLandLife.org/watershed-mini-grant-program.
