skip to main content

Watershed Champions Grant

Watershed Champions Grant for Schools

Apply now

The Watershed Champions grant program provides funding to help Ausable Bayfield watershed schools do environmental projects to create awareness and take action. 

Your school could be a watershed champion thanks to the Watershed Champions Grant

Become a Watershed Champion at your school! 

Our watershed community's Conservation Strategy inspires us to work with residents to create awareness and take action to improve watersheds for healthier communities and healthier people.

Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority (ABCA) has developed four packages.  

If you select one of the four packages, ABCA will be in touch to work with the school to address feasibility and put together the details of the project.  

Applications for Spring 2023 are due December 16, 2022.

Applications for Fall 2023 are due April 7, 2023.

The Watershed Champions Grant is funded by NextEra Energy Canada, LP and Cordelio Power.

Apply today! 

Here is the link the Watershed Champions application form:

Apply now!

Download the Watershed Champion Grant Guidelines now:

Download the Watershed Champion Grant Reporting Form:

Download the Watershed Champion Budget Form:

Documents are available in alternate formats upon request.

Local schools do projects to protect water, soil, living things with help of Watershed Champion grants
Grant returns for schools in Ausable Bayfield watersheds for winning proposals for projects to improve water quality, forest cover, watersheds

Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority (ABCA) invites local schools to become Watershed Champions. The local conservation authority offers grants of up to $1,000 per project. The grants are for local schools to complete projects that: improve surface and groundwater quality, forest cover, and overall watershed health; and may also include a public educational event or activity.

An application form and guidelines are available online at abca.ca and all Ausable Bayfield watershed schools are eligible to apply. New this year (2021), there are two submission deadlines to choose from depending on when the project will take place. For projects taking place from March-June 2022, the deadline will be December 17, 2021. Fall 2022 project applications must be submitted by April 8, 2022. 

“This year, we are excited to offer ABCA Packages where ABCA staff will help applicants through the project planning process on one of four specific projects,” said Denise Iszczuk, Conservation Educator with ABCA. “Schools want to improve outdoor learning spaces and we want to make it easy as possible for teachers and school administration to apply,” she said. “We are able to offer this grant again thanks to our partnership with Next Era Energy and Cordelio Power.”

Based on previous grant requests, ABCA Packages will provide solutions to an environmental challenge and streamline the process of applying. Schools will still need fill out the application form. The ‘Exploration in the School Yard’ package will help students explore their own schoolyard through the purchase of needed tools and equipment. ‘Pollinator Garden’, ‘More Trees Please’ and ‘Restore a Garden’ are three packages which encourage taking action on the schoolyard through the addition of plants to the schoolyard.

Schools can also apply with their own school-designed project in one of two categories: Creating Awareness or Taking Action. The Taking Action category is a hands-on positive action project which monitors, implements, or researches water, soil, and living things. The Creating Awareness category recognizes an educational project which promotes and encourages positive action.

Past Watershed Champions include: Bluewater Coast Public School, Hensall; Sacred Heart, Parkhill; Precious Blood Catholic School, Exeter; Stephen Central Public School, Crediton; East Williams Memorial Public School, Ailsa Craig and Wilberforce Public School, Lucan. Many of their video reports can be found on ABCA’s YouTube Channel.
The Watershed Champion Grant is possible thanks to funding support by Cordelio Power and NextEra Energy Canada, LP. 

Programs