The Florida Conservation Coalition (FCC) is pleased to announce that applications are now being accepted for its 2024 Conservation Mini Grants. Any Hillsborough County student group from kindergarten through 12th grade consisting of five or more youth and one or more adults are invited to apply. This includes students in Hillsborough public, private, parochial, charter, home and virtual school programs. Eligible groups are clubs, chapters, organizations, troupes and any other youth affiliated initiative determined to explore and promote conservation, including church youth groups.
Programs, projects and activities may include food composting; recycling of paper, plastic and electronics; wildflower and pollinator initiatives; road and waterway cleanups; community and school gardens; tree plantings; as well as educational programs, displays, presentations and contests at fairs, festivals, schools and other events. Students are encouraged to be as creative as possible when considering innovative ways to tackle conservation challenges.
The Florida Conservation Coalition is an alliance of combined action that engages youth and adults to preserve and enhance the world and its natural resources. The FCC makes a difference through education; hands-on activities; civic and community engagement; and the discovery, use and dissemination of best practices. Its theme is “Conservation is Everybody’s Business,” and its mission is “Advocating, Educating and Facilitating Conservation Programs for Youth and Adults.”
A minimum of 12 $250 grants will be awarded. Applications are due by Monday, September 30, and winners will be announced at the Hillsborough County Fair, held from Thursday, October 31 through Monday, November 11. Winning groups will conduct their project between Friday, November 1, 2024, and March 31, 2025. Project reports will be submitted in April, with additional awards presented for the most outstanding projects.
Funds to support this program are raised annually at the Super Plant Auction, open to the public and scheduled for 1 p.m. on Sunday, November 10, at the Hillsborough County Fair, located at 215 Sydney Washer Rd. in Dover. Plants are available at excellent prices thanks to the generosity of area nurserymen and include annuals, perennials, landscape and butterfly plants, ferns, bushes, trees and plant nutrition items.
Mini-grant applications and instructions are available by contacting Betty Jo Tompkins, president of the Florida Conservation Coalition, via email at bjt6890@yahoo.com, by phone at 813-477-8332 or on the fair’s website at www.hillsboroughcountyfair.com.
