Manley Congratulates Local Grant Award Recipient for Student Garden Project

ROMEOVILLE, Ill. – Following the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) announcement of Schoolyard Habitat Grant Program winners, state Rep. Natalie Manley, D-Joliet, is congratulating Will County students on being awarded a grant to create a pollinator garden at the Pilcher Park Nature Center.  

“I am excited that children in our community will be receiving hundreds of dollars in grant funding to help local conservation efforts and conservation education,” said Manley. “As pollinator species and native plants continue to dwindle in numbers, the pollinator garden will be a step in helping reverse those worrying trends while also providing valuable experience to our students.”

The Illinois Department of Natural Resources Illinois (IDNR) recently announced the latest round of Schoolyard Habitat Grant Program awards. Included among the grants was $974.04 for a pollinator garden in Pilcher Park Nature Center for students in grades 3-8. The funds are part of the $35,524.59 awarded state-wide this year by IDNR to support the creation or enhancement of wildlife habitats by students in public places. Since the beginning of the program, IDNR has awarded more than $329,000 in funds to help students learn about and help protect native plant and animal species.

“This grant will give students and teachers the opportunity to take an active role in conservation efforts and grow native plants to help support vital pollinator species,” said Manley. “I am extremely proud of the students and staff for the eagerness to learn, and I look forward to seeing their work.”