AFC Field Trip (Photo – Arroyos & Foothills Conservancy)
PASADENA – ColoradoBoulevard.net:
Arroyos & Foothills Conservancy awarded prestigious grant from the Michael J. Connell Foundation.
By News Desk
Arroyos & Foothills Conservancy (AFC), a leading nonprofit in the work of urban conservation and land preservation, is delighted to announce its recent selection as a grant recipient by the Michael J. Connell Foundation, a distinguished supporter of cultural and educational endeavors in the Pasadena and Los Angeles area.
The Michael J. Connell Foundation has awarded AFC with a grant of $100,000 in support of their Conservation Through Education program. This grant is a recognition of AFC’s commitment to nurturing the next generation of land stewards to ensure the protection of natural open spaces in perpetuity.
“We are incredibly grateful to the Michael J. Connell Foundation for this generous grant and continued support of our work,” said Barbara Goto, AFC’s Director of Operations. “This grant will expand our education programs to engage our local communities and bring under-resourced groups out to experience nature in a meaningful way.”
Conservation Through Education
AFC works towards fostering a deeper connection between people and nature by educating neighbors, students, teachers, and community members about the wildlife, native plants, and geology of the region. Their robust education program inspires an understanding of the value of natural open space in people of all ages and demographics. As part of AFC’s ongoing commitment to addressing unequal access to nature, 58% of their field trips last year were for students from schools receiving Title 1 funding.
AFC will utilize the newly awarded grant to expand their summer internship program for both college and high school students. The college internships will be ten-week programs in collaboration with Occidental College. They will offer housing and provide stipends so students who would otherwise need to get a summer job can participate. College interns will act as mentors for high school students during a two-week intensive program where interns gain experience in field work, data analysis, presentation, and communication.
The funding from the Michael J. Connell Foundation will also be used for AFC’s new “Living in a Wildlife Corridor” mobile exhibit. The mobile exhibit will take selections from AFC’s summer-long exhibit at Descanso Gardens’ Boddy House and bring them to schools and other public venues to introduce communities to the wildlife corridors winding through their foothill neighborhoods.
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