INPAWS 2008 SMALL GRANT AWARDS
The INPAWS Small Grants and Awards Committee reviewed proposals submitted by the February 1, 2008 deadline and made the following awards, totalling $900.00:
1- $500 to Hendricks County Soil & Water Conservation District (SWCD) to purchase native plants for two demonstration rain gardens at public locations in Hendricks County.
The traditional approach to handling stormwater has been to move water away from a site as quickly as possible through the use of pipes and ditches. A new approach is to increase infiltration at the site through the use of rain gardens. Rain gardens constructed with native plants can also improve water quality, create or improve wildlife habitat, and beautify the landscape.
The Hendricks County SWCD plans to install two rain gardens -- one in an urban setting and the other in a rural -- created with 15 species of native sedges and herbs. One rain garden will be constructed adjacent to buildings at the Hendricks County 4-H Fairgrounds and Conference Complex in Danville. A second rain garden will be created at McCloud Nature Park near North Salem. The overall objectives of the demonstration rain gardens are to educate the public about stormwater runoff and water quality; how and why to install rain gardens; and the use of native plants in rain gardens. The INPAWS grant will help the Hendricks County SWCD purchase 800 plant plugs for the rain gardens.
2- $400 to Southern Indiana Botanical Society to purchase educational materials for a native woodland wildflower garden in Floyds Knobs.
The Southern Indiana Botanical Society (SIBS) recently planted a garden of native woodland herbs and shrubs in a 410-acre wildlife sanctuary on the grounds of the Mount Saint Francis Monastery. The garden is located along one of the publicly accessible hiking paths and was developed to provide an example of how native plants can be used in home gardens and landscapes.
With the INPAWS grant, SIBS plans to produce printed literature about the woodland garden plants and a weatherproof box to house the literature. The literature will include information about each of the 21 species planted in the garden and on use of the native woodland plants in home landscapes as alternatives to commonly planted non-native perennial herbs and shrubs.