Bloomington Urban Woodlands Project receives TogetherGreen Innovation Grant
Prestigious national award from Audubon and Toyota furthers conservation efforts of Indiana University collaboration
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Toyota and the National Audubon Society have announced that an $18,248 Toyota TogetherGreen Innovation Grant will be awarded to a Bloomington-based project that will bring the community’s woodlands alive with wildflowers, butterflies and birds.
The grant will be presented to the Bloomington Urban Woodlands Project, a collaboration by Indiana University and several local organizations and initiatives. The project will use the funding to provide neighborhoods, students of all ages and plant nursery retailers with opportunities to learn about the many benefits -- aesthetic to therapeutic -- of Indiana’s rich natural heritage of native woodlands and to promote healthy interactions with this precious local resource. Heather Reynolds, associate professor in the Department of Biology at IU Bloomington, is the project principal investigator.
Toyota TogetherGreen, a national conservation program of the National Audubon Society and Toyota, invests in conservation initiatives that use innovative approaches and technologies to engage new and diverse audiences in addressing pressing environmental problems.
"Organizations that won Toyota TogetherGreen Innovation Grants this year have ingenuity and creativity on full display. And that’s what it takes to tackle the environmental challenges we face today," Audubon president and CEO David Yarnold said. "I’m proud to partner with these innovators in creative approaches to achieve healthier communities and big conservation results."
Since 2008, Audubon and Toyota have awarded more than $5.5 million in Toyota TogetherGreen Innovation Grants to more than 240 conservation projects nationwide. This year’s grant projects will receive nearly $1 million in funding to support habitat, water and energy conservation. Many of the projects focus on engaging audiences that have historically been underserved by the mainstream conservation movement.
About the Bloomington Urban Woodlands Project
The Bloomington Urban Woodlands Project is a collaboration between Indiana University, Monroe County Identify and Reduce Invasive Species, the Sassafras Audubon Society and City of Bloomington Parks and Recreation. The project's mission is to promote healthy forests and reconnect communities with their woodlands.
About Toyota TogetherGreen
Toyota and the National Audubon Society launched the Toyota TogetherGreen initiative in 2008 to foster diverse environmental leadership and invest in innovative conservation ideas. Toyota TogetherGreen funding recipients have improved more than 30,000 acres of habitat, mobilized 420,000 individuals, conserved 15 million gallons of water and leveraged $10.5 million in volunteer hours.
Related Links
Media Contacts
Steve Hinnefeld
- Office 812-856-3488
- slhinnef@iu.edu
- Policy Briefings
Agatha Szczepaniak
- National Audubon Society
- Office 212-979-3197
- aszczepaniak@audubon.org