MUNCIE, Ind. — Ball Brothers Foundation has awarded funding totaling more than $2.4 million to 33 projects in its first round of grants for 2022.
The grants include approximately $220,000 in funding for projects related to the foundation’s Project Blueways initiative, which supports efforts related to local soil and water quality, watershed planning and water recreation, according to a release.
The largest of the Project Blueways grants is a $90,000 grant to Muncie Sanitary District for the construction of up to four canoe/kayak launches along the White River from the Prairie Creek Reservoir area through downtown Muncie. The launch sites will be strategically placed with the intention of improving public access to the river.
“Our community has spent decades improving the White River’s water quality and building trails and parks alongside the river. The removal of dams over the past several years has not only improved safety but now allows people to canoe, kayak and tube from the eastside of Muncie through downtown and points west,” Jud Fisher, president and CEO of Ball Brothers Foundation, said in a release. “This grant from BBF for new canoe and kayak launches marks an exciting turning point as we seek to help Muncie and Delaware County further build a reputation as a destination for water recreation and river access.”
The Sanitary District’s Bureau of Water Quality (BWQ) received another Project Blueways grant from Ball Brothers Foundation, supporting a new project designed to breed and populate freshwater mussels in the White River. Freshwater mussels are one of the most endangered groups of organisms in North America.
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Mussels play a critical role in cycling essential nutrients through the river as each individual mussel can filter up to 15 gallons of water per day. They stabilize and oxygenate the water, provide food and habitats for aquatic organisms and are important indicators of water quality. Last year, the BWQ conducted a pilot program to breed freshwater mussels, one of the only programs of its kind across the state.
The BWQ has plans to greatly expand this effort moving forward, and a $25,000 grant from Ball Brothers Foundation will help build a new conservation and education facility adjacent to the White River and across from the BWQ office. This conservation and education center — adjacent to a new mussel propagation facility — will allow biologists to provide tours for visiting school groups to teach students and other visitors about both water quality and freshwater mussels.
Additional Project Blueways grants this round include:
This grant round also supported a number of other focus areas and funding initiatives, including Future of Work, a collaborative effort that strategically connects schools with employers and workforce development programs to prepare students for 21st century workforce needs, and Project Sybertooth, a funding effort and community network designed to support local cybercrime investigations and enhance training initiatives.
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Preliminary applications for the foundation’s next round of grants are due July 15. The foundation also regularly accepts applications for Rapid Grants of up to $5,000 from February through November of each year. For more information on Ball Brothers Foundation grants, visit ballfdn.org/grants.