Press Releases


SEEAL AWARDS MORE THAN $20,000 IN GRANTS

For Immediate Release: June 25, 2008
Contact: Jennifer Marshall, SEEAL Coordinator, 508-493-4343, jmarshall@seeal.org

SEEAL (Southeastern Environmental Education Alliance), under the auspices of the Community Foundation of Southeastern Massachusetts, is pleased to announce that it has awarded more than $20,000 in “Sustainable New Bedford” grants to environmental education, stewardship, and sustainability-related projects in the Greater New Bedford area.

“Sustainable New Bedford” is a two-year project, 2008-2009, funded by the Environmental Protection Agency. SEEAL is the subcontractor of the award and will carry out project goals for the City of New Bedford.

3rd EyE Youth Empowerment Inc. $4,000
Green Leaders
3rd EyE Youth Empowerment Inc. will develop a core group of green-educated youth through interaction with leaders of the green movement, workshops to build eco-vocabulary and communication skills, eco-focused creative expression, and peer-to-peer teaching thus building a stronger foundation of understanding and energy with which to forge a more powerful green movement in New Bedford.

Friends of Wings Court $4,885
Green City Demonstration Garden
Friends of Wings Court will transform Wings Court into a green environment that demonstrates ecological landscaping practices that divert storm water and reduce contaminants and toxins. It will feature strategic plantings grown for their contaminant uptake ability, rainwater collection methods, rain gardens, and an oil-slick cleaning wetland.

Downtown Shops Collaborative $2,000
Downtown Bike Racks
Downtown Shops Collaborative will install bike racks for at least 10 bicycles in downtown New Bedford. The bike racks will vary in size and be installed in various locations around shops and offices in order to increase the number of bikes used to travel downtown and decrease the number of cars.

Greater New Bedford Regional Vocational Technical High School $4,995.20
Atlantic White Cedar Restoration Project
The Atlantic White Cedar Restoration Project will train high school students to propagate Atlantic White Cedar trees. Students will travel to several regional cedar swamps to collect cuttings from native cedars and propagate these cuttings at a greenhouse located at their school. Once these cuttings have been rooted and are well established in the greenhouse, students will transplant the seedlings to a restoration nursery and eventually to a cedar swamp. Students will gain knowledge of the habitat requirements and reproductive cycle of this rare tree species, as well as the role it plays in the forest ecosystem and in reducing harmful pollutants from the environment.

Office of Campus and Community Sustainability, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth $5,000
Greening NB Businesses
The Greening of New Bedford Businesses project is a pilot project designed to evaluate the instruction and implementation of eco-friendly practices among a group of New Bedford organizations. Businesses that wish to participate in the project will be asked to commit to a set of 6 inter-related workshops, where attendees will learn how to transform their organization into an environmentally friendly one.

Westport River Watershed Alliance $1,000
Shrink Your Footprint Series
Shrink Your Footprint is a series of three events focused on introducing people to methods of reducing carbon output, nitrogen output, water usage, and energy usage in their everyday lives. Each event involves several speakers as well as people showcasing products and ideas for living a more environmentally sustainable lifestyle.

To learn more about SEEAL or this grant and its objectives, please refer to our website, www.seeal.org, or contact SEEAL Coordinator, Jennifer Marshall, 508-493-4343, jmarshall@seeal.org.


About SEEAL
SEEAL, a program of the Community Foundation of Southeastern Massachusetts (CFSEMA), was formed in 1997. SEEAL’s mission is to support member organizations in their capacity to provide quality environmental education and stewardship in Southeastern Massachusetts.

Some of SEEAL’s active educational and institutional partners who are present and provide programs in New Bedford include New Bedford Public Schools, Global Learning Charter School, New Bedford Regional Vocational Technical High School, UMass Dartmouth, and SMAST. Present and/or active SEEAL non-profit partner organizations that deliver programs and resources to the City of New Bedford include The Trustees of Reservations, Lloyd Center for the Environment, Schooner Ernestina, Buttonwood Park Zoo, Operation CleanSweep, Friends of Buttonwood, Trips For Kids, Community Boating Center, New Bedford Oceanarium, New Bedford Whaling Museum, SEMAP, Working Waterfront, 3rd Eye Unlimited, Mass Audubon, and the Marion Institute. Others include Bristol Community College, Brick by Brick, YouthBuild, Peaceworks, Zeiterion Performing Arts Center, and Sea Lab.


About the Community Foundation
Since 1995, area residents have been turning to the Community Foundation to make their philanthropic giving as effective as possible. CFSEMA is a public charity serving thousands of people who share a common concern – improving the quality of life in Southeastern Massachusetts.

While the Foundation’s primary grantmaking focus is on the SouthCoast communities of Greater New Bedford, Greater Fall River, and Greater Plymouth County, CFSEMA is a regional foundation serving 41 cities and towns. To date, the Community Foundation has assets of more than $18.5 million and has distributed nearly $6 million from 110 funds to humanitarian, educational and cultural organizations in the region. To learn more about the Foundation, visit www.cfsema.org.