P&TC secured $50,000 of grant funding from the Henry S. Crosby Foundation in order to launch a multi-year initiative to engage friends groups in implementing habitat restoration projects in state parks. In 2018, five friends groups each received a $5,000 grant to spearhead a location-appropriate, habitat restoration project at their state park.
Friends Groups Make an Impact through Grant Program
2018 by the Numbers
$24,696
$2,639
73
1,036
1,074
Granted to five projects
Local match
Trees planted
Trees caged
Volunteer hours
Projects
Friends of Itasca State Park
Installed tree cages around young, naturally growing pine trees.
- 460 trees caged
- 190 volunteer hours
“[Volunteers] enjoyed trekking into the woods to find pine trees, some already chewed down by deer but still viable, that could be . . . protected for years to come.”
Learn more about these friends
Friends of Maplewood State Park
Planted new trees to replace vulnerable ash trees.
- 15 large sugar maple trees planted and caged
- $545 local match
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Friends of Nerstrand Big Woods State Park
Restored 0.5 acres of prairie/wooded edge habitat.
- 113 volunteer hours
- 5 first-time volunteers engaged
- $550 local match
“Specific, visible accomplishments like these make it easier to engage new volunteers and raise funds for improvements.”
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Friends of Wild River State Park
Installed tree cages around young, naturally growing oak trees.
- 253 trees caged; 220 more cages to be installed in 2019
- $544 local match
“We had volunteers from age six to 60s. Many talked about volunteering in the future and coming back to see how ‘their’ trees are doing.”
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Frontenac State Park Association
Planted native trees as 174 prairie forbs to restore oak savanna.
- 45 trees planted
- 403 volunteer hours
- $1,000 local match
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What's Next?
Thank you and congratulations to the five friends groups who implemented habitat restoration projects in 2018. Their hard work and dedication for their parks is evident! The state parks, wildlife, and park visitors truly benefit from their steadfast investment.
In 2019, P&TC will work with the DNR to carry out year two of this grant program. Another round of friends groups will be selected to spearhead habitat restoration projects in different state parks.