Williams Lake Community Forest is accepting grant applications for 2023 projects.
“This is the fifth year that we’re making grant funds available,” Mary Thurow, Granting Coordinating for Williams Lake Community Forest said, “We started small, back in 2019 when the first grants were awarded, we sent out approximately $26,000 and now it’s almost going to be almost triple that this year.”
Previous funding amounts were $23,500 in 2019 when the first grants were awarded, and 45-thousand dollars from 2020 to 2022.
The funds are targeted toward several projects like recreation and recreational structures including trails, signs and kiosks, culture and the arts projects as they relate to forests and forest values, as well as education and outreach projects for all age groups, and projects enhancing economic development.
We asked Thurow, who is eligible to apply for one.
“Essentially you have to be from the Williams Lake area, from Mcleese Lake in the north to Dog Creek in the south and then eastward between Miocene, Big Lake, Keithly Creek then Horsefly. Clubs, Parent Advisory councils, educators, volunteer groups, Fire Departments, all sorts of people can apply,” Thurow said.
Public, private, and Indigenous schools and educators are also invited to apply if they are within the local area.
Thurow added all that information is on the application forms that are available at the Williams Lake Community Forest office on Yorston Street and online williamslakecommunityforest.com/community-granting/.
The deadline to apply is November 18th.