Where: Nahant Marsh, 4220 Wapello Avenue, Davenport
When: 1:30 p.m. January 23
Who: River Action, Community Foundation of the Great River Bend, Nahant Marsh staff, and 30 visiting Augustana College students
A press conference will be held at the Nahant Marsh Education Center, 4220 Wapello Avenue, Davenport, at 1:30 P.M. on Wednesday, January 23rd to announce a $25,000 grant from CFGRB to River Action's QC Wild Places program. This event will be held in conjunction with Augustana College students touring the marsh on their annual Symposium Day.
Established in 2011 with the support of the Community Foundation of the Great River Bend, the QC Wild Places program started as a way to combine the efforts of local natural areas and their managing organizations in collaboration with River Action and area funders. Because wilderness areas are run by various organizations with staff and budgets of varying sizes, it is often difficult for them to receive the funding and publicity they need to increase awareness and make improvements. QC Wild Places is a program dedicated to preserving natural areas around the Quad Cities through service, funding, and awareness. QC Wild Places projects include funding for site improvements, community outreach and awareness, an Explorers Program for children, and conservation efforts. Member sites are located in eight counties around the Quad City region all within an hour's drive of the Quad Cities.
The program brings together 63 natural areas run by 19 organizations and 27 site managers. Select projects include funding a mountain bike trail extension at Sunderbruch Park in Davenport, the construction of a new footbridge at Black Hawk State Historic Site in Rock Island, a trail identification system at Illiniwek Forest Preserve near Hampton, and the site of the news conference, Nahant Marsh - where a sand prairie and turtle nesting site restoration with viewing platform is being built with funds from QC Wild Places provided in part by the CFGRB.
Since 1964, the Community Foundation of the Great River Bend has been dedicated to supporting local nonprofit organizations in our community.
"QC Wild Places is a great example of how the Community Foundation can partner with nonprofits beyond traditional grantmaking," said Matt Mendenhall, Vice President of Programs at the Community Foundation. "Our membership in the River Partnership of Community Foundations has helped us bring national funding and expertise to QC Wild Places, and we look forward to that type of success with other local nonprofits."
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