Conservancy Awarded Three Prestigious Grants

June 9, 2015  | By Shoal Creek Conservancy

Shoal Creek Conservancy is the proud recipient of three grants – one each from REI, the Texas Historical Commission, and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. These grants play a vital role in supporting the Conservancy’s projects and initiatives, and we are extremely honored to be chosen as the recipient of these funds.

REI Grant ($5,000 grant + $5,000 bonus)

The Conservancy’s grant application for $5,000 was approved in early May and, in a move of great generosity, REI decided to award an extra $5,000 to fund our work for a total of $10,000. The grant supports the Conservancy’s regular volunteer workdays to improve the trail, including post-flood cleanup events, and allows us to purchase the tools and supplies necessary for successful workdays.

Texas Preservation Trust Fund Grant, Texas Historical Commission ($21,750)

Support from the Texas Historical Commission’s Texas Preservation Trust Fund, in combination with a generous grant from the Burdine Johnson Foundation, will allow us to initiate Phase 1 of the Historic West 6th Street Bridge Restoration Project – a multi-year and million-dollar project. We are honored to be chosen as one of only 23 projects supported in 2015. Through this project, the Conservancy will spread the story of this historic landmark and transform it into a significant cultural and educational destination. We expect to kick off this project this fall.

Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Grant ($19,000)

The Conservancy is also a proud recipient of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s Wildlife Diversity Conservation Grant, Horned Lizard License Plate Fund. This grant supports the Consevancy’s Pollinator Park Project at Duncan Park, located between 9th and 10th Streets along the Shoal Creek Greenway. Through this project, we are partnering with the Department and the City of Austin to develop Austin’s first wet and dry wildflower meadow. This project will create native habitat for pollinators, help address flooding issues on-site, and provide educational and interpretive opportunities for visitors. This project is also supported by in-kind donations from Fermata Inc., URS and Asakura Robinson Company.

We would like to express our sincerest thanks to REI, the Texas Historical Commission, and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department for supporting the Conservancy and these exciting projects.