Southern Company’s subsidiary in northwest Florida joined forces with The Nature Conservancy to complete the final 1,000 acres of a longleaf pine restoration project, accelerating the environmental organization’s reforestation effort within the 6,350-acre Apalachicola Bluffs and Ravines Preserve. The partnership also provided for the reforestation of 100 acres of the Conservancy’s Rock Hill Preserve.
Five Star Restoration - Grants
2006 Grant Recipients
The following organizations have been awarded 5 Star Restoration grants this year to implement wetlands conservation initiatives:
Magnolia Springs Restoration Project
Five-Star Funds: $20,000
Grant To: Baldwin County Commission
Project Location: Baldwin County, Alabama
Congressional District: AL-01
Baldwin County Commission will restore five acres of degraded coastal wetlands, streams and riparian areas within an ecologically and culturally significant county park that contains a rare freshwater pool surrounded by a degraded stream bank. The county will seek public input on the project and involve local civic organizations and schools in the re-vegetation of the site. Project partners will use the hurricane ravaged site as a model demonstration area for stream bank stabilization projects. Project partners include Magnolia Springs Garden Club, Magnolia Springs Community Association, and the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.
Fishing Creek Wetlands Enhancement
Five-Star Funds: $20,000
Grant To: Benjamin Moore & Co.
Project Location: Pell City, St. Clair County, Alabama
Congressional District: AL-6
Benjamin Moore & Co. will restore approximately ten acres of wetland habitat on the banks of Fishing Creek. The Wetlands Enhancement Project will reduce erosion by restoring a small pond currently being fed from a small stream. The area will then be replenished with natural vegetation increasing the biodiversity. Benjamin Moore & Co. will also continue to sponsor awareness programs for Duran South Junior High School youth to promote the many values of wetlands. Project partners include Alabama Power Company, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Duran South Junior High School, and Alabama Cooperative Extension Systems.
Mobile Bay Western Shore Habitat Restoration
Five-Star Funds: $5,000
Grant To: Murphy High School
Project Location: Mobile, Mobile County, Alabama
Congressional District: AL-1
Murphy High School will restore a half acre of marsh wetland along the western shore of Mobile Bay in Alabama. The project will work with high school students to plant five plots with native emergent grasses. Students will be involved in the planning, planting, monitoring, and data collection of the sites. Data collection includes water quality, soil quality and fish and invertebrate identification. Project partners include the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Barry Vittor and Associates, Melinda Gray Ardia Environmental Foundation, Mobile Bay National Estuary Program, and a variety of local volunteers including teachers, students, and parents.
Seven Springs Watercress Darter Restoration Project
Five-Star Funds: $20,000
Grant To: Freshwater Land Trust
Project Location: Birmingham, Jefferson County, Alabama
Congressional District: AL-7
Freshwater Land Trust will restore three acres of riparian buffer along Seven Springs in Birmingham, Alabama to increase the habitat area of the endangered Watercress Darter. Project partners will remove invasive vegetation, and replant the area with native grasses, shrubs, and trees. Additionally, partners will work with the local community to create a nature sanctuary and outdoor classroom near the site to implement environmental education programs. Long-term monitoring by the US Fish and Wildlife Service and local university biologists will ensure the success of the Watercress Darter recovery efforts. Project partners include Faith Apostolic Church, Southern Environment Center, Samford University Department of Biology, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Five Mile Creek Restoration Project
Five-Star Funds: $20,000
Grant To: Freshwater Land Trust
Project Location: Fultondale, Jefferson County, Alabama
Congressional District: AL-6
The Freshwater Land Trust will restore the riparian habitat and improve the water quality of a section of Five Mile Creek by removing invasive plant species and reintroducing native plant species in the riparian corridor. Project partners will construct a passive wetland to treat acid mine drainage discharge flowing into the creek, and local school students and teachers will provide riparian buffer maintenance and water quality monitoring. The Trust will also promote sustainability throughout their efforts to restore Five Mile Creek. The project's progress and outcomes will be evaluated by maintenance of a healthy, native riparian zone and improved water quality at the site. Project partners include Cawaco Resource Conservation and Development Council, Alabama Power Service Organization (Magic City Chapter), Jefferson County Soil and Water Conservation Service, City of Fultondale, Fultondale Elementary School, Five Mile Creek Partnership, and United Land Corporation.
Medlock Park Riparian Corridor Restoration
Five-Star Funds: $10,175
Grant To: Dekalb County
Project Location: Dekalb County, Georgia
Congressional District: GA-04
Dekalb County will restore 70 feet of an urban tributary to South Peachtree Creek within Medlock Park. The project will improve the habitat quality of the tributary system, stabilize the stream banks, and provide a buffer vegetated with native plant species. In addition, an adjacent wetland will be restored and workshops will be implemented with neighborhood associations and Medlock Elementary School to promote environmental education and public awareness of water quality objectives. Project partners include Dekalb County Parks and Recreation Department, Medlock Elementary School, Dekalb County Parks Bond and Greenspace Office, Medlock Area Neighborhood Association, Clyde Shepherd Nature Preserve and EcoWatch Americorps.
Varnell Springs Restoration
Five-Star Funds: $10,950
Grant To: Conasauga River Alliance
Project Location: Varnell, Whitfield County, Georgia
Congressional District: GA-9
Conasauga River Alliance will restore three acres of wetlands within Varnell Springs, a tributary of the Conasauga River in Varnell, Georgia. Project partners will remove invasive Chinese privet, trash, and old fencing around one spring to allow the natural re-emergence of native vegetation including dwarf iris, cardinal flower, and blue phlox. Additionally, interpretive signs will be placed in the area to educate the public about the springs, and elementary school field days will bring over 500 students to the area. Project partners include the City of Varnell, Whitfield County, Limestone Valley Resource Conservation and Development Council, and Sleepy Hallow Farms Inc.
Jekyll Island Oyster Reef Restoration
Five-Star Funds: $20,000
Grant To: CDR Environmental Specialist, Inc.
Project Location: Jekyll Island, Gylnn County, Florida
Congressional District: GA-1
CDR Environmental Specialists, Inc. will restore a half a mile of oyster habitat along Clam Creek, near Jekyll Island, Georgia. The project will promote community awareness of the importance of oyster shell recycling and of the critical function that oysters serve as a keystone species in this region's ecosystem. An oyster shell collection will be established and the local community will be encouraged to participate in shell recycling. Cured oyster shells will be bagged to be used in construction of an oyster reef in Clam Creek. From the project start date until the oyster reef is constructed, a monthly water quality assessment program will be conducted to establish the baseline water quality of Clam Creek. The riparian and coastal areas associated with the reef will benefit through increased water quality, habitat production, and abundance and diversity of benthic biota. Project partners include Atlantic Richfield Company, Honeywell, Jekyll Island-State Park Authority, University of Georgia's Marine Extension Service, and Georgia Power.
Bennett Bayou Restoration and Education Initiative
Five-Star Funds: $19,997* (*includes $2,200 from EPA's Gulf of Mexico Program)
Grant To: Land Trust for the Mississippi Coastal Plain
Project Location: Moss Point, Jackson County, Mississippi
Congressional District: MS-4
Land Trust for the Mississippi Coastal Plain (LTMCP) will restore 2.5 acres of wetlands within the Bennett Bayou, in Southern Mississippi. Project partners will remove boardwalk, riprap and invasive vegetation along a channel to reduce erosion and replace the area with native plants. Over 35 volunteers, including 20 local high school students, will assist with the native plantings. LTMCP will work with partners to conduct education field trips to the site, educating the community on the importance of native plants and wetlands in the region. Project partners include Audubon Mississippi, Mississippi Department of Marine Resources, Mississippi Power, Pascagoula River Basin Alliance and the City of Moss Point.
more about NFWF
how to apply
Back to Five Star Restoration home