The Great Lakes region recently received a boost when DuBois-based Nature Abounds was awarded a grant from Freshwater Future. 

This is the second Climate Change grant Nature Abounds received from Freshwater Future whose focus is building the environmental community in the Great Lakes region to protect and restore the water quality of the Great Lakes basin.

They do so by providing financial assistance, communications, and networking assistance and technical assistance to citizens and grassroots watershed groups throughout the Great Lakes basin.

Over the past year, Nature Abounds has been working with trained community volunteers in the Lake Erie basin (Pennsylvania, Ohio, and New York), reaching out to the public, local officials and leaders, as well as the media, informing them about climate change and adaptation in the Lake Erie Watershed basin.

Nature Abounds held two training sessions for the project, one in Erie and one in Buffalo. In addition to the in-person trainings, the group is also offering a correspondence course for citizens that want to become involved but were not able to make it to one of the trainings in person.

With the new grant, Nature Abounds will continue to work with citizen volunteers in the Lake Erie Watershed basin in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and New York. They’ll also be expanding the project to the Lake Ontario Basin.

“Climate change is already impacting our region in almost all aspects – public health aspects like asthma and allergies, low water tables, decreasing wildlife habitat, diminishing fishing and recreational opportunities, and even shipping transportation costs,” said Melinda Hughes-Wert, Nature Abounds President. “People don’t realize that as costs rise for goods in the stores and for medical costs, some of that rise can directly attributed to climate change and they’re not going to see those costs drop anytime in the near future.

“With support from Freshwater Future, through our Climate Change Ambassador opportunity, we are getting the word out about changes that have already happened, what to expect in the future, and what people can do to help,” explained Hughes-Wert.  “Also, if municipal officials want to work with us on planning for climate change, we’re more than happy to meet with them and discuss what can be done.”

The mission of Nature Abounds is to bring people together for a healthy planet. For more information on this project, contact Nature Abounds at either 814-765-1453 or send email to: info@natureabounds.org.

8/12/2013