Manomet had a very successful first quarter with regard to grant awards for programs. In total, we received over $985,000 through grants for this quarter alone! Foundation and government grants are vital to supporting both Manomet’s operations and programs and make it possible for all of our work that helps sustain our world.

 

Sustainable Economies

Jane’s Trust Foundation: Thanks to a $60,000 grant from the Jane’s Trust Foundation, the Grocery Stewardship Certification project will be delivered to independent grocers in New Hampshire.  This project will evaluate the environmental impacts of more than 200 common practices at 20 grocery stores in NH. Manomet is partnering with the NH Grocers Association (NHGA) and NH Small Business Development Center (SBDC).  In addition, Manomet will expand the model of working with independent grocers to Maine and Vermont.

 

Eastern Bank Charitable Foundation, Partnership Grant: Manomet was awarded a $10,000 grant for U360. Manomet will expand U360 into the area served by Eastern Bank. This grant will support the partnership between U360 and the University of New Hampshire (UNH) during the 2016-17 school year, as well as the outreach needed to secure partnerships with two new colleges in eastern Massachusetts.

 

Libra Foundation: Manomet received $5,000 from the Libra Foundation to expand the scale and reach of U360 in Maine by executing the program with larger teams of students from two universities for two semesters. Libra Foundation funding will support U360’s partnership with the University of Southern Maine and the University of New England during the 2017 spring and fall semesters, and the outreach needed to secure partnerships with two new colleges in Maine to continue growth of U360 beyond the grant period.

 

Broad Reach Fund of Maine: We received $100,000 from the Broad Reach Fund of Maine to support the Downeast Fisheries Partnership, a long-term initiative that is re-establishing connections among the watersheds, coastal marine waters, and communities of eastern Maine so people can sustain themselves forever by fishing. Funds will support three critical functions required to ensure progress toward our “fishing forever” vision: research and analysis of emerging issues, improved communications, and effective coordination.

 

Anonymous Foundation: An award of $11,500 was given to Manomet to start a first-in-the-U.S., proof-of-concept project to create a new gourmet food market for soft­ shell (freshly-molted) European green crabs, an invasive species. The project includes a kick-off conference for participants in February 2017 to teach the fundamentals of the pre-molt and molting processes and coordinate the acquisition of necessary equipment for this new market. Participants will be invited to our weekly sorting sessions, which will also be open to the general public, the news media, and representatives of seafood companies. The funding allows Manomet to assemble our team and to begin to test the efficacy of a new soft-shell green crab industry.

 

Shorebird Recovery Program

William P. Wharton Trust:  Manomet received $9,150 for an Assessment of Semipalmated Sandpiper Habitat Use and Response to Human Disturbance in Plymouth Bay.  This is a continuation and expansion of an existing project that utilizes cutting edge radio-telemetry techniques (NanoTags), as well as traditional bird banding and re-sighting methods to document local movements, distribution patterns, and stopover duration of migrating Semipalmated Sandpipers in the Plymouth Bay area. This grant will allow us to deploy 30 NanoTags on 15 juvenile and 15 adult birds.

 

David and Lucile Packard Foundation: A grant in the amount of $390,000 was awarded to Manomet to conserve shorebirds and their habitats on Chiloé Island, Chile. This is the fourth phase of a long-term project. This phase will enhance the conservation of critical shorebird habitats in Chiloé through building local capacity, integrating shorebird conservation and local development, engaging local communities, and aligning local shorebird conservation efforts with national and international plans and initiatives.

 

Bobolink Foundation: Manomet was awarded $150,000 from the Bobolink Foundation for several components of the Shorebird Recovery Program. Funding will support: 1) building stakeholder engagement to implement the Atlantic Flyway Shorebird Initiative, 2) managing the disturbance at Lagoa do Peixe National Park in Brazil, 3) supporting training of the Argentine partners to monitor rufa Red Knots, 4) holding shorebird habitat management workshops in Argentina and Puerto Rico, and 5) addressing incompatible coastal engineering along the Atlantic Flyway.

 

Environment Canada: Manomet received two grants from Environment Canada. The first is for $10,000 to provide information on habitat use and threats at migratory stopover sites used by Buff-breasted Sandpipers. The second is a grant for $24,300 for priority shorebird sites monitoring and training in Venezuela. Funds will build monitoring capacity in Venezuela by delivering a training workshop targeting local monitors and obtaining information to assess the importance of two areas for priority Canadian shorebirds and the threats they face at those sites.

 

Climate Services

Adelard A. & Valeda Lea Roy Foundation:  Manomet was awarded $8,000 to support the overall work in 2017 for the Climate Smart Land Network (CSLN), an alliance of forest landowners and managers in the United States and Canada that is working together to better understand the impacts and opportunities presented by climate change.  This entails: network expansion, general education for Network members, development of a Climate Change and Forestry Handbook, climate change and forestry workshops; and, the development and testing of a Resiliency Assessment Framework.

 

Sustainable Forest Initiative: Manomet was awarded $75,000 over a three year period for the CSLN. Specifically, the project will develop and test a scalable approach for assessing forest resilience to climate change, demonstrating the adaptation and mitigation value of SFI managed lands, and incorporating climate opportunities and risks in planning and management.

 

Unrestricted/Operating Support

Massachusetts Cultural Council (MCC), Cultural Investment Portfolio program: Manomet has had a long relationship with MCC. This year we are receiving $31,500 of unrestricted operating support. This type of support is vital to Manomet and is deeply appreciated. It allows Manomet to decide upon the most important organizational need(s), and provides flexibility that cannot be achieved with restricted grants.

 

If you are involved with a foundation that aligns with Manomet’s work, please contact Beth Brazil to explore ways we can work together.