Friends of Starkweather Creek receive Bird City grant

Environment

Friends of Starkweather Creek receive Bird City grant

Charles Hagner

July 28, 2020

Friends of Starkweather Creek receive Bird City grant — The Midwest Environmental Justice Organization (MEJO), Gambian Youths of Wisconsin and East Madison Community Center youth fish at Olbrich Park Boat Launch, at the mouth of the Starkweather Creek at Lake Monona. Starkweather Creek flows through Truax Field on the Northside. In 2008-2009, before concerns about PFAS in the Creek, MEJO advocated for and helped design signs placed on the shorelines of the Yahara lakes with safe fish eating guidelines in response to PCB and mercury levels, including at the Olbrich Boat Launch. The guidelines are general for all Dane County waters. Photo by Maria Powell

By Charles Hagner
Bird City Wisconsin

Bird City Wisconsin has announced that the Friends of Starkweather Creek have been awarded one of its inaugural small grants.

The grants are intended to kick-start local projects that help Bird City communities create and protect bird habitat, educate residents about the many positive interactions between birds and people, and reduce threats to birds.

The Friends of Starkweather Creek will receive $190 for a fall seed mix to assist in the creation of a wet-mesic native prairie on the Starkweather Creek watershed.

“The goal of the small-grants program is to provide a helping hand to Bird City communities that are just a modest funding boost away from accomplishing something really great for birds,” said Bird City Wisconsin Director Chuck Hagner. “We’re delighted to support Madison’s initiative with one of our inaugural grants and look forward to learning how the planting will help the restored watershed serve as an urban oasis for birds.”

Members of the Bird City board of directors evaluated applications and awarded the grants based on the urgency of the project, its potential impact, a community’s ability to complete it, the need for funding, and the number of applications received. A total of $1,890 in grants was awarded to six Bird City communities.

The small grants are available to Bird City communities only. Madison has been recognized as a Bird City since 2013 and is a High Flyer.

Bird City Wisconsin, a program of the Western Great Lakes Bird and Bat Observatory in Port Washington, is supported by the Bird Protection Fund of the Natural Resources Foundation of Wisconsin and other generous conservation-minded donors.

The program was created in 2009 and began recognizing communities the following year. It recognizes municipalities for the conservation and education activities they undertake to make their communities healthy for birds and people.

To be recognized, a community must meet criteria spread across six categories: habitat creation and protection, community forest management, limiting threats to birds, education, energy and sustainability, and the official recognition and celebration of World Migratory Bird Day. Communities that go above and beyond in their conservation and education programs achieve High Flyer status. To date, 108 communities have been recognized as Bird Cities, and 25 communities have qualified for High Flyer status.

For more information: Facebook (facebook.com/BirdCityWisconsin), website (BirdCityWisconsin.org), or email (director@birdcitywisconsin.org).