A local conservation district recently won $200,000 in grant money. The Grand Traverse Conservation District was presented with a grant on behalf of the Great Lakes Fishery Trust under the Great Lakes Stewardship Initiative program. These educational funds will help serve K-12 students and teachers working with local organizations to address community environmental issues, such as the ecology of the Great Lakes. The grant will also help the Conservation District to take an active role in helping residents become stewards and advocates for strategies that support long-term sustainability of the Great Lakes and its fisheries.

As one of eight primary hubs for the grant money issued, The Grand Traverse Conservation District will establish and fund the work of the new Grand Traverse Stewardship Initiative (GTSI). The hub’s work will focus on professional development for teachers, school-community partnerships and place-based education. The Stewardship Initiative will be provided by the Conservation District in partnership with Inland Seas Education Association (ISEA), the Traverse City Area Public Schools (TCAPS), the Traverse Bay Area Intermediate School District (TBAISD) and over a dozen partner organizations that participated in the planning phase of the Initiative in 2009.  The Initiative will compliment many of the Conservation District’s new education programs at the Boardman River Nature Center.

“We are excited about the Initiative’s potential to bring together teachers, students and community partners to work toward solutions for water-related issues in the Grand Traverse region,” said Colleen Masterson-Bzdok, Education Director at the GTCD and Project Manager for the new Initiative.  “This combination of meaningful exploration, critical thinking and community service are essential for creating the next generation of environmental stewards.”

If you would like to read more about the Grand Traverse Conservation District and their Stewardship Program you may do so by logging on to http://www.natureiscalling.org/