Sand Dollars for Success

Marine Minerals Activities is a grant from the Department of the Interior that funds coastal resilience and marine mineral management through the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM). The Marine Minerals Program partners with communities to address serious erosion along coastal beaches, dunes, barrier islands, and wetlands by issuing leases for sand, gravel, and shell resources from federal waters. Program efforts focus on shore protection, beach nourishment, and wetland restoration while maintaining environmental oversight. BOEM also manages exploration and leasing of offshore critical minerals on the Outer Continental Shelf under authority of the OCS Lands Act. The program has restored hundreds of miles of coastline, protecting billions of dollars in infrastructure and vital ecological habitats, working alongside federal, state, and local governments, tribes, and environmental organizations.

Environmental Education Grants is a grant from the Petoskey and Harbor Springs Area Community Foundation that funds nature-based learning for K-12 students in Emmet County, Michigan. Established in 2009, the Environmental Education Fund supports field trip transportation to local nature preserves, birding trails, state parks, fishing ponds, and farms; equipment such as binoculars, orienteering devices, and art supplies for deeper ecological observation; and specialized training for local educators and nonprofit staff in environmental education facilitation. Grants of up to 500 dollars are available to schools and nonprofit organizations. Since its founding the fund has helped nearly 5,000 Emmet County children and teens connect with the region's inland lakes, hardwood forests, coastal sand dunes, migratory bird paths, and Little Traverse Bay. Requests must be submitted before the proposed activity, as the foundation does not reimburse completed activities.