New England Grassroots Environmental Fund: Current Newsletter

New England Grassroots Environment Fund

NEGEF NEWS

Home

Small Grants Information & Forms

Boston Grants Initiative

About Us

Trainings/Conferences

Brochure and
Annual Reports

Current
Newsletter

Archived
Newsletters

Grantee Contact
Information
Air
Biotechnology
Energy
Land Use
Natural Resources
Population/Consumption
Toxics/Hazardous Waste
Urban Environment
Water
General

Grassroots
Web Links

Contact
and Staff Info

	Summer 2005 Grantee Success Stories Notes from NEGEF's Executive Director NEGEF's Bits & Pieces NEGEF Grantmaking NEGEF Trainings & Conferences NEGEF Board & Grantmaking Committee NEGEF Contact Information

GRANTEE SUCCESS STORIES ( back to top )	Mount Desert Island Water Quality Coalition: Engaging Citizens In 1998 students in a sophomore biology class at Mount Desert Island High School in Bar Harbor, Maine received a large cash prize as part of an Environmental Excellence Award from Sea World/Busch Gardens for their efforts to protect water quality and local marine resources. They began dreaming about how students from all schools on Mount Desert Island could be involved in meaningful environmental projects. Thus, the beginnings of the MDI Water Quality Coalition. If there was one thing that the high school students felt needed to happen, it was the inclusion of younger students in environmental stewardship activities on the island. Students decided to use the award funds to start a non-profit organization whose mission would be to engage citizens of *all* ages in preserving and improving water quality on Mount Desert Island through meaningful environmental research and community education. In 2000, with the help of a grant from the New England Grassroots Environment Fund, the MDI Water Quality Coalition hired its first executive director and the organization moved out of the high school and into the community. Since then, a plethora of projects have been introduced in local schools. Third graders stencil storm drains with the slogan “Dump No Waste, Drains To Bay”. Sixth and seventh graders monitor their local harbors for red tide. Seventh and eighth graders study local streams in an effort to improve coastal water quality. Students share their findings at our annual Youth Watershed Forum. In the same year that the MDI Water Quality Coalition was established, an important community partnership was forged. The MDI Water Quality Coalition and the MDI Biological Laboratory launched a unique community outreach venture, the Community Environmental Health Laboratory. The Laboratory now has an EPA-approved Quality Assurance Project Plan (QAPP) and provides a space for citizen scientists to address questions they have about local water quality. In the summer, high school and college student interns work with teacher interns to monitor water quality at local beaches as part of the Maine Healthy Coastal Beaches Program and collect red tide data for the Maine Department of Marine Resources. In addition, they assist local residents with watershed and shoreline surveys and partner with a local wildlife sanctuary to monitor lakes and ponds. During the school year, teachers and students from local schools use the Community Laboratory when they need access to special equipment. As the MDI Water Quality Coalition begins its 5th summer of helping local people become stewards of their precious water resources, the group is empowered by community partners, volunteers, and numerous supporters. It has been a long journey from the vision students had in the classroom to the reality of the MDI Water Quality Coalition and that vision continues to guide students and community members alike.

NOTES FROM NEGEF's EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR ( back to top )	BEYOND ENVIRONMENTALISM: WHAT WE CAN DO TO ASSURE A HEALTHY FUTURE “The main task in (this century) will be to apply ecological knowledge to the fundamental redesign of our technologies and social institutions, so as to bridge the wide gap that now exists between human design and the ecologically sustainable systems of nature.” Fritjof Capra, A Sense of Wonder: Ecological Literacy and the Facts of Life NEGEF invites you to join us at the Bioneers-by-the-Bay: Connecting for Change conference at UMASS Dartmouth to add your community activism to the growing breadth and depth of grassroots work happening around the world. Sounds ambitious? YES, but October 14-16 is going to be a grassroots convening the likes of which we have not seen in New England for a long time. Looking across the New England Grassroots Environment Fund’s grantee landscape, we are doing the business of the environment differently these days. There are many grassroots activists who have never thought of themselves as “environmentalists” but who are putting balance back into their lives and into the culture of which they are a part. There has been much said about Don’t Think of an Elephant, George Lakoff’s book about reframing “the message.” What’s the Matter with Kansas is asking why America can’t see the forest for the trees. Others like Gus Speth in his recent book, Red Sky at Morning,identify eight “transitions” our culture must experience if we are to pass along a world in balance. There are now dozens, no hundreds, of books reflecting on the ultimate survival conundrum of which you are key players. Many of those authors and activists will present at the fall convening. I had the great pleasure to meet Kenny Ausubel, co-founder of The Bioneers, this past June, at a meeting that opened for NEGEF some very interesting new doors. As a result, we invite you to come walk through them with us. Come connect to the larger world and to the work of social change, link with social entrepreneurs like yourselves who are reshaping the way our culture does business. To give you a flavor of what Bioneers is all about, here are a few quotes from their 2004 Annual Report. The full document can be found on their website: www.bioneers.org. Why this conference? “We started connecting the dots (back in the late 1980s) among environment, health, social justice and spirit. Just the act of coming together in community lifted our spirits immeasurably….(we) began to discover brilliant innovators... (who) were figuring out how to apply nature’s operating instructions in practical ways to serve human ends harmlessly... It was pragmatic, substantive work whose profound implication was nothing less than the complete redesign of the human enterprise." Kenny Ausubel, Bioneer Co-Executive Director This event dramatically connects our local work to global initiatives and will give ideas from the big picture to advance our community work. Workshops around sustainable agriculture, global warming, green building, social entrepreneurship, environmental health, new economic paradigms, wildlands and wildlife conservation, and much, much more will be offered. This conference is about hope, vision and action. NEGEF can not stress strongly enough that if you have but one weekend to give to your activist work this fall, this will be the one to attend. NEGEF is offering $50/day registration fee grants on a first come—first served basis to encourage you to attend. Contact us for more information about how to apply for the grant. Check the full program at www.bioneersbythebay.org. Or, call the Marion Institute at 508-748-0816 or email info@marioninstitute.org for more information. SEE YOU IN OCTOBER.

NEGEF'S BITS& PIECES ( back to top )	Recycling CDs The newest disposable media, the compact disc, is not only a staple of modern life, but is becoming a staple of the modern landfill as well. Each year some 773 million CDs and DVDs are manufactured in the United States. That’s not counting the hundreds of millions of software, game discs, and blank CDs and DVDs that are sold. According to the Worldwatch Institute, each month 45 tons of these various media become obsolete and head for the garbage dump. Yet these items are made of largely recyclable materials: aluminum and polycarbonate plastic. Here are some tips from Seventh Generation to help reduce, reuse, and recycle CDs and DVDs: -- Download software and music directly to a computer hard drive -- Rent movies rather than purchasing them -- Buy used discs when possible—available from local resellers or onlline stores -- Use DVDs instead of CDs—they hold a lot more so you’ll need fewer of them -- Ask to be removed from mailing lists that send junk mail with CDs -- Give unwanted discs to libraries or friends Recycle unwanted discs with: GreenDisk (www.greendisk.com/default.html), Plastics Recycling, 317-780-6100, NE-SAR Systems, 724-827-8172, MRC Polymers, 773-890-9000. From March/April Newsletter of Green Decade Coalition/ Newton American P.I.E. (Public Information on the Environment) sends out a monthly EcoAlert that contains interesting and useful information about the environment. To subscribe, go to www.AmericanPIE.org. The following was taken from their June EcoAlert: Do You Know What You Are Putting on Your Lawn? An entire nation has been persuaded that the herbicide Roundup and other glyphosate-based products, such as Vision, Accord and Rodeo, are as "safe as table salt." This is a claim made by the Monsanto Company in national advertisements. Advertising campaigns additionally claim that glyphosate products are safe for people, pets and the environment. The campaign works. Estimated use in the U.S. is now between 19 and 26 million pounds per year and Roundup represents the pesticide industry's first billion dollar product. American PIE receives numerous calls from people looking to control weeds in the landscape. Most callers to our 1-800 Environmental Information Line come with the notion that Roundup is a benign and environmentally friendly solution. We're quick to point out that, despite industry claims, this simply is not the case. In truth, laboratory studies have found adverse effects in all standard categories of toxicological testing. In one study conducted by Walsh, McCormick, Martin, and Stocco of the Department of Cell Biology and Biochemistry, Texas Tech University, RoundUp was conclusively identified as an endocrine disruptor. The evidence against use of Roundup is compelling and well represented by groups such as the Northwest Coalition for Alternatives to Pesticide (NCAP), 541.344.5044 and the New York Coalition for Alternative to Pesticides (NYCAP), 518.426.8246. NCAP's Journal of Pesticide Reform carries a detailed description, authored by Caroline Cox, of both the human health and ecological dangers associated with glyphosate. Ms. Cox's review is well-researched and comprehensive, noting as well the toxicology of Roundup's "inert" ingredients (such as the surfactant POEA) and citing 183 separate studies from the literature regarding glyphosate. And NEGEF would like to add that one of our grantees, the Northeast Organic Farming Association, Connecticut and Massachusetts Chapters, has published a comprehensive guide, “Standards for Organic Land Care: Practices for Design and Maintenance of Ecological Landscapes”. In addition, they have available shorter pamphlets that give basic information about organic land care. Some excerpted tips for environmentally friendly lawn care: -- Carefully choose a grass seed blend that is compatible with your local growing conditions -- Including clover in your seed will provide your lawn with nitrogen -- Seed or overseed in the fall -- Set your mower to a height of three inches and keep the blade sharp -- Leaving grass clippings on your lawn will provide it with 40% of the nutrients it needs -- Start the conversion from a chemical to an organic lawn with an application of 1/4 inch of good quality organic compost. Visit their website, www.organiclandcare.net for more information about how to keep your landscape healthy without chemicals. Starting Your Own Compost Pile The average resident in the U.S. produces over .75 tons of trash each year; 30% of this volume is made up of yard debris, kitchen and food wastes, all of which can be composted. By composting, not only do we reduce the amount of solid waste to be transported and disposed of, we also have the possibility of enriching the soil and improving our landscapes in an environmentally responsible way. Here are the basics: Beginning in the kitchen: Set aside a bucket or container in your kitchen for vegetable matter - peelings, leftovers and food scraps. Do not include any animal or dairy products. Setting up the pile: Some people just make a pile, plain and simple. Others keep the pile together with a bin made of scrap lumber, heavy wire mesh, brick or stone. You can purchase one of many composting systems on the market. If you build a bin, decide how big it should be, allow space to turn the compost periodically, and build it to a height of roughly 3-4 feet. Adding to the pile: Some people treat composting as a science, carefully layering various materials. But given time, all organic materials will decompose however you choose to care for the pile. Add earthworms for more action! Maintaining the pile: Prevent the pile from settling by turning it every few weeks. Circulation is important to good composting. Regular turning will accelerate decomposition and transform materials into humus-rich compost sooner. A healthy compost pile will be warm as heat is released when organic materials decompose. Reaping the Benefits: You¹ll know when the compost is ready to harvest. You’ll find rich, brown, friable, decomposed materials at the bottom of your bin. Dig it out and put it to work on your property: dig it into the garden before you plant for steady nourishment for your flowers and vegetables; tuck it under shrubs for fertilizer and moisture retention; scatter finished compost on your lawn; fertilize your trees by scattering compost to the dripline. You never have enough compost for a residential property; the compost just keeps improving your soil year after year.

NEGEF GRANTMAKING ( back to top )	NEGEF's Grantmaking Committee awarded $82,215 to 41 groups at its March meeting. The following proposals received funding: Amherst Open Space Advisory Committee Amherst, NH $1,000 To fund a direct-mail outreach effort to educate the citizens of Amherst about the importance of open space preservation. Barrington Open Space Coalition Barrington, NH $1,000 To educate citizens about the value of preserving open space and creating a base of support for open space protection in Barrington. Barton Mountain Alliance Barton, VT $1,500 To prevent further industrial/commercial development on Barton Mountain, to encourage Verizon to identify an alternative site for its tower, and work to rezone Barton Mountain against more towers. Cedar Swamp Conservation Trust Westborough, MA $2,000 To help fund the group's appeal of six special permits granted for the expansion of the transfer station onto land protected by the Town of Hopkinton's zoning bylaws. CitySeed Haven, CT $2,500 To help establish a farmers' market in Fair Haven, a low-income neighborhood of New Haven where residents would be able to redeem Farmers' Market Nutrition Program coupons. Clean Water Coalition Westfield, MA $2,500 To investigate previously identified contamination sites and urge government agencies to define and delineate affected areas and adhere to the Safe Drinking Water Act. Communities for Fells Preservation Stoneham, MA $2,500 To fund informational materials and to retain professional consultants to review traffic or drainage impacts due to a proposed large-scale development on 40 acres within the Middlesex Fells Reservation. Concerned Citizens of Hinsdale Hinsdale, NH $2,500 To educate citizens about a proposed power plant and proposed construction and debris processing facility and about the dangers associated with incineration and C & D fueled power plants and processing facilities. Concerned Residents for Orderly Westminster Development Westminster, MA $2,500 To inform the public about four large-scale high-density developments and educate them about environmental impacts of these developments. East Side Neighborhood Network Augusta, ME $1,500 To stop city plans to rezone public property in the neighborhood, currently used as a high school deeded to the citizens over 100 years ago for educational and recreational purposes, to allow for the construction of a 56,000 square foot grocery store. Environmental Justice Program Hallowell, ME $2,000 To develop and implement a 9-month model project, "Soul Food", that will connect Maine congregations to the spiritual roots of food production and consumption and link local congregations to their neighbor farmers and local food activists. F.R.E.S.H. New London New London, CT $2,500 To help fund a series of projects involving a teenage crew working to improve food security in the community, producing food for free distribution to food pantries and soup kitchens, and educating food recipients at a drop-in learning center and camp for low and moderate income youth. Farm and Water Community Improvement Trough East Montpelier, VT $2,000 To restore safe and potable drinking water to the neighborhood and ensure future protection through negotiations with Fairmont Farm and by further scientific investigation into pathways between farm contaminant sources and drinking water sources. Food AND Medicine Brewer, ME $2,465 To help fund Union Supported Agriculture, a multi-farm CSA program that encourages working-class and low-income community members to get food from local farms. Friends of Donigian Park Providence, RI $1,500 To continue hiring park monitors for weekly cleanups and surveillance of the park and to continue working with other local agencies on park issues such as lighting, condo development and illegal activities. Friends of the Blue Hills Milton, MA $2,500 To educate and engage target constituencies about a state-sponsored wetland-filling project in the Blue Hill Reservoir that is not complying with existing state wetlands protection laws. Fryeburg Aquifer Resource Committee Fryeburg, ME $2,500 To present at public meetings the results of an independent aquifer study to determine the sustainable amount of water that can be drawn on an annual basis in order to protect the town's water supply. Gloucester Fishermen's Wives Development Program Gloucester, MA $2,500 To educate the North Shore community about the dangers to human health and the marine environment from the proposed Liquified Natural Gas Pumping Station to be located 3-10 miles off-shore in Gloucester's fishing grounds. Good Growth Augusta Augusta, ME $2,000 To educate Augusta citizens about an ordinance that rezoned residential property to commercial use to allow a big box developer to build a 550,000 square foot unenclosed mall, and to promote smart growth policies in the city. Greater Lovell Land Trust Center Lovell, ME $2,500 To work with the Kezar Lake Watershed Association to raise funds for legal work, expert testimony regarding a proposed development, to purchase a patrol boat, and to support the creation of a coalition of five local land trusts to coordinate land conservation on a regional basis. Green Decade Coalition/Newton Newton, MA $1,500 To help fund the Commercial Energy Efficiency outreach program that aims to educate small businesses on energy efficiency programs, reduce emissions from this sector, and measure the effectiveness of these programs. Greenwich Bay Watershed Group Warwick, RI $2,000 To help fund water quality monitoring at 7 sites along tributaries of Greenwich Bay to establish baseline data for evaluating the effectiveness of water quality improvement projects recommended in the Greenwich Bay Special Area Management Plan. Growing Women's Power Providence, RI $2,250 To increase the availability and use of organic fertilizers for gardeners in Providence through a micro-enterprise led by teenagers involved with community gardens. Hoosic River Watershed Association Williamstown, MA $1,000 To help support a position for a pilot period of six months for a newly formed Berkshire Conservation Collaborative of several environmental groups seeking to increase their collective influence on local and state policies through better coordinated advocacy. Idle-Free Campaign for Lenox Lenox, MA $1,000 To promote and provide for cleaner and healthier air in Lenox through a broad-based public awareness campaign about the benefits of reducing unnecessary motor vehicle engine idling and education and enforcement of the 30-year old state idling statute. Interreligious Eco-Justice Network West Hartford, CT $2,000 To help fund This Old House of Worship, an interfaith power and light program to promote and install conservation/stewardship measures at houses of worship and homes of congregants. Islesboro Central School Horticulture Program Islesboro, ME $2,000 To help fund the drilling of a well at the orchard so the "Orchard Project" can increase the numbers and diversity of food crops. Jones River Marine Ecology Center Kingston, MA $2,000 To improve the group's ability to communicate with the public and to directly advance the stewardship of the Jones River. Millers River Watershed Council Athol, MA $2,000 To reactivate the group's leadership role as the watershed's premier organizer of educational and voluntary stewardship projects that promote watershed protection. Neutaconkanut Hill Association Johnston, RI $1,500 To establish a strong voice for the protection of 88 acres of city park land by creating a neighborhood organization, heightening visibility of the park, and creating a marked trail system with signage for better and more frequent utilization by the public. Nulankeyutmonen Nkitahkomikon (We Protect Our Homeland) Lubec, ME $2,000 To educate Tribal people and opinion leaders about the nature/scope of LNG, identify interventions and solutions and organize for reform and environmental justice. Plymouth Area League of Women Voters Kingston, MA $2,500 To research, prepare and present pertinent facts about environmental, fiscal, safety and security issues around the relicensure of the Pilgrim Station nuclear plant. Preserve Our Rural Area Coventry, RI $2,000 To help fund legal assistance for the group's ongoing attempt to prevent the construction of 114 condominiums in a rural area where wetlands, surface waters, groundwater and wildlife habitat would be adversely affected. Providence Youth Garden Club Network Providence, RI $2,500 To create a Providence Youth Garden Club Network to support and grow local youth garden endeavors. Randolph Neighborhoods Association Randolph Center, VT $2,000 To support the continuing campaign to oppose unrestricted water withdrawal from the local aquifer and to draw attention to problems with the local planning and regulatory processes. Residents Environmental Action Committee for Health Contoocook, NH $2,000 To continue the campaign to oppose the incineration of construction and demolition waste through court action, advocacy and education. Stenbeck Place Preservation Scituate, MA $2,000 To continue to campaign to oppose a proposed development in an environmentally fragile site containing a wetland draining into a nearby brook. Sustainable Lexington Lexington, MA $2,500 To help fund the "Change a Light in Lexington" campaign that will reduce the impact of town residents on the climate by reducing emissions of carbon dioxide. Three Rivers Land Trust Shapleigh, ME $1,500 To print a map/brochure of protected natural lands and outdoor recreation opportunities in western York County, Maine for trail use and to educate the public about stewardship and about two land trusts, a watershed group and trail committee. Voice for the Potash Brook Watershed South Burlington, VT $2,000 To fund a full-day workshop for professional landscape and lawn care providers to teach organic and low input methods. Voices for Sensible Energy Solutions New Haven, VT $2,000 To continue with the campaign to oppose VELCO's Northwest Reliability Project that will adversely affect New Haven and other towns along the proposed corridor between Rutland and South Burlington. And at our June Grantmaking Committee meeting, a total of $91,765 was distributed to 50 community groups. The following groups received grants: Advent House Providence, RI $2500 To plant gardens on three of the Advent House properties where homeless residents can provide food for the shelters. Agawam Citizens Against Reckless Development Agawam, MA $2,000 To educate members of the community about a 490,800 square foot "big box" development proposed for a residential area of town and to oppose a zone change that will allow the development. Buckmaster Pond Neighborhood Association Westwood, MA $2,000 To fund a wildlife biologist to complete a natural resource inventory of Buckmaster Pond prior to a well water pump test as part of a proposal by the town of Norwood to pump 1 million gallons/day out of the pond for their municipal water supply. Capital Area Land Trust Montpelier, VT $2,000 To implement an educational program to educate private landowners, town officials and area residents about the Berlin Pond Watershed Conservation Initiative whose primary goal is to conserve land to further protect Berlin Pond as a public drinking water supply. Center Pond Weed Pulling Demonstration Project Becket, MA $1,000 To remove invasive aquatic weeds from Center Pond utilizing diver hand-pulling as an alternative to herbicide application. Citizens for Sludge-Free Land North Sandwich, NH $2,000 To work with Local Advisory Committees and watershed associations to increase protection for water and agricultural soils from the landspreading, topdressing and stockpiling of sewage sludge and septage. Clarendon Neighbors Civic Association Clarendon Springs, VT $1,500 To continue to oppose the construction and operation of an asphalt plant in a residential/commercial zoning district in the predominantly rural town of Clarendon. Clean Power Now – Nantucket Nantucket, MA $2,500 To inform and educate the public and local officials about the factual merits and positive health and environmental benefits of wind power in support of the development of offshore wind power on Nantucket Sound. Concerned Parents of Wampatuck Scituate, MA $1,500 To protect the health of the 400 children in Wampatuck School during the toxic waste cleanup of the property abutting the school. Dummerston Conservation Commission Dummerston, VT $1,000 To address erosion on a river access trail near the Dummerston Covered Bridge to enhance the entire picnic and parking area that runs along the West River. Elm City Cycling New Haven, CT $1,965 To distribute bicycle lights and bicycle maps with safety information to at-risk youth in New Haven. Fight the Trash/Mano Dura con la Basura Jamaica Plain, MA $2,000 To develop a physically attractive and safe environment that responds to the desires of the neighborhood residents, stimulates ongoing healthy habits and engenders a since of pride among residents. Five Rivers Conservation Trust Concord, NH $1,500 To fund outreach, training, and coalition building in the 14-town region where Five Rivers Conservation Trust focuses on land protection activities in order to enhance and expand local capacity. Focus: Tamworth South Tamworth, NH $2,000 To help fund a team of lawyers and an engineering firm in order to regulate the building and operation of a private sports-car race track located over a critical aquifer and near recently-designated conservation land in Tamworth. Friends of the Middlesex Fells Reservation Melrose, MA $2,000 To increase grassroots participation in open space preservation, public access and restoration of cultural assets in the Middlesex Fells Reservation. Georgetown Conservation Commission Georgetown, ME $1,000 To help fund a bridge for a trail that spans Robinhood Cove. Green Mountain Conservation Group Effingham, NH $1,500 To help fund a summer intern who will manage the expanded Water Quality Monitoring Program in the Ossipee Watershed. Hadley Neighbors for Sensible Development Hadley, MA $2,500 To engage more people in public, democratic processes to help better plan, control and mitigate the impacts of unplanned large-scale development in Hadley. Isle La Motte Preservation Trust Isle La Motte, VT $2,000 To help fund PHASE 2 of the project to create the 81-acre Goodsell Ridge Fossil Preserve and Nature Center. Jonah Center for Earth and Art Middletown, CT $2,000 To design, install and maintain eco-friendly, alternative landscape demonstrations at two sites in Middletown to educate the community about the use of native plants and ecologically sound gardening techniques. Katahdin Center for Education and Research Brunswick, ME $2,000 To stop the Town of Brunswick from using sludge-based compost within the Aquifer Protection Zone and to urge the adoption of an Organic Pest Management policy for all town-owned land. Lexington Ad Hoc Engine Idling Committee Lexington, MA $1,500 To educate residents about the impact of idling vehicles on air quality and encourage voluntary participation to significantly reduce the amount of time vehicles idle at schools, recreational and commercial areas. Loon Echo Land Trust Bridgton, ME $2,000 To help fund a facilitator and staff expenses for a Board Retreat to prepare a 5-year strategic plan. Mad River Neighborhood Association Moretown, VT $2,000 To continue the campaign to prevent a rock mining quarry from being opened on 90 acres of exceptionally scenic land. Maine Conservation Voters Education Fund Brunswick, ME $1,200 To conduct a training session for the Maine conservation and environmental community, "Advocacy 101: How the Maine Public Policy Works". Mascoma Lake Community Association Enfield, NH $1,000 To fund the removal of Eurasian milfoil from Lake Mascoma through removal by volunteer divers. Master Urban Gardener Program Boston, MA $2,500 To provide funding for three volunteers to attend the American Community Gardening Assn. conference where the group will present a workshop. Montana Youth Wilderness Experience Program New Haven, CT $2,500 To help fund the project that works with inner city, at-risk and foster care youth to expose them to environmental issues through positive adult mentoring. New Haven Inner City Outings New Haven, CT $1,500 To enable New Haven ICO to sponsor high quality environmentally-oriented educational outings for participating New Haven youth and to empower youth to take an active role in the stewardship of the natural environment. Newhall Coalition Hamden, CT $1,850 To support the efforts of the Newhall Coalition to take actions necessary to get a binding commitment from the parties responsible for the clean up the contaminated soils in the Newhall neighborhood in Hamden, Connecticut in order to assure the health and safety of present and future residents. NOFA – CT Stevenson, CT $1,750 To fund scholarships for employees of municipalities and/or individuals connected with school districts for an intensive day-long Organic Lawn and Turf Course. Orono Land Trust Orono, ME $2,000 To increase the capacity of a collaborative effort, consisting of the Orono and Bangor Land Trusts, University of Maine, municipalities and a growing number of partners, to increase community awareness, plan for fundraising, and develop a new brochure for the Caribou Bog-Penjajawoc Project. Pawtuckaway Lake Advisory Committee Nottingham, NH $1,500 To fund an analysis of the zooplankton community, nutrient content and toxins from blue green algae as part of the task of updating the state's management plan for Pawtuckaway Lake. Pemaquid Watershed Association Damariscotta, ME $1,500 To empower the residents of the Pemaquid watershed to improve the quality of their watershed by organizing outreach programs, providing training and posting material at a public beach and boat launch pertaining to the health and responsible use of the pond. People for Less Pollution Middlebury, VT $2,500 To reduce pollution and ensure a clean environment in the Champlain Valley by opposing the International Paper Company's plan to burn Tire Derived Fuel at their mill in Ticonderoga, NY. Plymouth Area Renewable Energy Initiative Plymouth, NH $2,000 To help build the organization and meet the growing demand of people interested in receiving assistance with planning for their energy future. Quincy Environmental Network Quincy, MA $2,000 To hire a part-time coordinator to perform weekly organizational tasks and recruit and manage volunteers so that the group's executive committee can spearhead an open space preservation drive in Quincy. REACH Community Health Foundation North Adams, MA $1,500 To provide an opportunity for a low-income neighborhood of North Adams to grow fresh vegetables as part of a ands-on experience for a healthier lifestyle. Rhode Island Watch Warwick, RI $1,000 To create a citizens' awareness communications network designed to inform citizens of various issues and what they can do to act on them. Roots & Shoots of Unity College Unity, ME $500 To continue the cleanup of the East Branch of the Sebasticook River by removing debris and other sources of pollution starting at the Superfund site of the old woolen mill and ending downstream at the mill's old dump site. Rutland Area Farm & Food Link Rutland, VT $2,500 To help fund the group's "5-10-50" campaign that will encourage Rutland area consumers to buy more local food and fiber products and to educate them about why this is important for communities, economy and health. Save Our Groundwater Barrington, NH $2,000 To increase public awareness and education and water conservation and the dangers of privatizing natural resources. Schoolground-Park Greening Committee Portland, ME $2,500 To improve a bleak community park/ schoolground into a useful and inviting recreational resource and gathering space for the community and its children. Spruce Creek Association Kittery, ME $2,000 To conduct a volunteer water monitoring program in order to establish a water quality baseline for the Spruce Creek estuary. STOP (Landfill Expansion) Hardwick, MA $2,500 To prevent major expansion of a landfill located over an aquifer that serves 10,000 people and to install effective monitoring to detect gas and groundwater pollution. Sustainable Energy Resource Group Thetford Center, VT $2,000 To work with the Vermont Energy & Climate Action Network to help form new town energy committees, develop programs to help towns reduce their energy consumption and implement energy efficiency programs. Sustainable South Shore Hull, MA $2,000 To help the Towns of Hull and Hingham to carry out the capacity building portion of their proposed EPA Healthy Communities Zero Emissions Transportation Improvement Plan. Valley Alliance for Smart Growth North Smithfield, RI $2,500 To educate town/city councils, planning and zoning boards, citizens and other interested parties about smart growth development options, especially in response to a proposed 138-acre big-box shopping center. Vermont Citizens for Safe Energy New Haven, VT $1,500 To continue the campaign against VELCO's power line upgrade, focusing on the potential hazards of large electric transmission lines due to electromagnetic fields. West River Watershed Alliance Brattleboro, VT $2,000 To hire a Program Intern to assist with all three phases of the WRWA's Water Quality Monitoring Program during the summer and fall 2005. BOSTON GRANTS INITIATIVE Started in the fall of 2003, the Boston Grants Initiative is designed to provide grassroots grants in a scale appropriate to the urban environment. Targeted for groups in Boston, Chelsea, Somerville and Cambridge, grant awards range from $2,500 to $10,000. The following grants were awarded at the Steering Committee’s meeting in April: Chelsea Latino Immigrant Committee Chelsea $10,000 To expand and intensify the worksite environmental organizing campaign to reduce worksite hazards for immigrant workers. CitySprouts Cambridge $9,000 To develop and support a summer and after-school program for children and youth in Cambridge. Dudley Neighbors Roxbury $7,000 To help complete the outfitting of the newly constructed Lewis Place Community Orchard and Dennis/Huckins Street Community Garden. Four Corners Action Coalition Dorchester $10,000 To continue environmental justice campaigns around transit equity. Green Decade/Cambridge Cambridge $10,000 To create a market demand in Cambridge for clean renewable energy through business and residential purchase of renewable energy certificates from the Mass. Energy Consumers Alliance. Neighborhood Pesticide Action Committee Jamaica Plai $10,000 To establish an organic pest management policy on the SW Corridor Park and in Jamaica Plain's parks and open spaces as a pilot for the rest of Boston. Somerville Arts Council Somerville $6,000 To help fund the Mystic River Mural Project that engages 7-10 local low-income Somerville youth with summer employment stipends, trains them in the arts and design, and educates them about environmental stewardship. Washington Street Corridor Coalition Roxbury $10,000 To obtain a replacement transit service for the Washington Street corridor in the form of a Light Rail Vehicle system. West Broadway Task Force South Boston $10,000 To expand a pilot program for Integrated Pest Management by alerting residents to the hazards of pesticides and offering alternative methods for eliminating pests in the home.

NEGEF TRAININGS & CONFERENCES ( back to top )	MARK YOUR CALENDARS! Bioneers by the Bay: Connecting for Change October 14-16, 2005 UMASS Dartmouth Join this internationally acclaimed gathering of scientific and social innovators demonstrating visionary and practical models for restoring the earth and building sustainable communities. The Marion Institute—in partnership with NEGEF and others— will host the Northeast regional Bioneers conference. On-site presenters and workshops will be joined by the national keynote speakers via satellite downlink. We urge the NEGEF grassroots community to take part in this vibrant network rich with ideas, models, tools and resources to strengthen our work. For more information visit www.bioneersbythebay.org or contact the Marion Institute at 508.748.0816. NEGEF/Toxics Action Center Conferences This year NEGEF and the Toxics Action Center (TAC) will be co-sponsoring day-long conferences/trainings in Vermont and Maine. Join us at Vermont Technical College in Randolph, Vermont on Saturday, October 29th and/or at Colby College in Waterville, Maine on Saturday, November 12th Keynote Speakers: Vermont: David Goodman, award-winning independent journalist and author of five books, including The Exception to the Rulers, co-authored with amy Goodman of Democracy Now Maine: Peter Montague, co-director of Environmental Research Foundation and publisher of Rachel’s Environment and Health News Check our website next month for more details and to register for the conferences.

NEGEF BOARD & GRANTMAKING COMMITTEE ( back to top )	Board of Directors Stephen Miller, Islesboro Islands Trust—President Dini Merz, Proteus Fund—Vice President Quita Sullivan, Alternatives for Community and Environment—Secretary Richard Davision, Sudbury Foundation—Treasurer Paul Bruhn, Preservation Trust of Vermont Benno Friedman, Housatonic River Initiative/Cloud Mountain Foundation Meredith Hatfield, New Hampshire Charitable Foundation Gioia Perugini, Jessie B. Cox Charitable Trust Daniel Ross, Nuestra Raices Naomi Schalit, Maine Rivers Ted Smith, Henry P. Kendall Foundation Grantmaking Committee Joanne Sciulli, Solar Youth (Connecticut Activist) Jeff Miller, Bicycle Coalition of Maine (Maine Activist) Sue Phelan, GreenCAPE (Massachusetts Activist) Dea Bricker-Wood, Rockingham Land Trust (New Hampshire Activist) Pat McNiff, NOFA/RI (Rhode Island Activist) Ben Machin, Orange County Headwaters Project (Vermont Activist) Carolyn Fine Friedman, Fine Family Foundation (Funder) Sarah Harding, Penniman Family Foundation (Funder) Amy Breault, Mass. Environmental Trust (Funder) Peter Kane, Kane Family Fund (Funder) Libby Monahan, Rhode Island Foundation (Funder)

NEGEF CONTACT INFORMATION ( back to top )	P. O. Box 1057 Montpelier, VT 05601 (802) 223-4622 (phone) (802) 229-1734 (fax) info@grassrootsfund.org (email) www.grassrootsfund.org (website)

© 2000-2004 New England Grassroots Environment Fund.
All rights reserved. Last updated January 29, 2007
Website design: MT Bytes