The Williams Lake Community Forest (WLCF) has more money to award community groups and schools this year thanks to an award.
WLCF was awarded the Robin Hood Memorial Award for excellence in community forestry by the Ministry of Forests in June of 2023. The award came with $10,000, which granting coordinator Mary Thurow said will go right back into the community towards this year’s grants.
Since 2019, the WLCF has been awarding grants to projects aimed at enhancing economic development, recreation and recreational structures, culture and the arts projects as they relate to forests and forest values, capital improvements, education and outreach projects for all age groups, and other projects particularly related to forest resource values. In 2023, WLCF awarded 15 projects a total of $65,000 in grant funds and expects to award $75,000 for 2024 projects.
WLCF is now accepting applications for community and school projects until 4 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 17.
While they have only received a few so far, Thurow said most normally do submit right near the deadline, but noted Nov. 17 at 4 p.m. is a hard deadline and late applications will not be accepted.
Past school projects include a hands-on learning at Cataline Elementary School, helping purchase tools and building materials for some wood-based projects.
“It was a pretty neat project,” said Thurow.
She has been helping to coordinate the grants since 2019, once the WLCF, established in 2014, was able to award grants from their profits.
She said of all the projects over the years, her favourite so far has been the Flatrock Hydrology Trail in the WLCF. The trail was built by the Cariboo Chilcotin Conservation Society in 2020, and hits many of their target priorities.
The trail, which is an interpretive trail accessed from the Esler area power lines off of Hodgson Road, includes educational aspects, has cultural and traditional knowledge with Secwepemc vocabulary, it is permanent and ongoing, creates an accessible school resource and also benefits general community members for recreation.
Grant applicants must be living and/or working in the WLCF local area which is defined as the city of Williams Lake, and CRD Electoral Areas D, E, and F. A map is provided on the WLCF website under the About/Location section.
Applications can come from registered charities, non-profit and/or community organizations such as parent advisory councils, clubs including 4H clubs, and community associations. Public, private and Indigenous schools and educators are also invited to apply if they are within the local area described above.
There is a pre-established set of evaluation criteria provided with the application form, along with a budget template. Five per cent of annual WLCF profits are set aside to be distributed to the community through this granting program.
Paper application forms are available at the Williams Lake Community Forest Office at 177 Yorston Street, or locate digital forms online at https://williamslakecommunityforest.com/community-granting/.
For more information, contact Mary Thurow, WLCF Granting Coordinator – grants@williamslakecommunityforest.com
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