Applications open for the Loblaw Water Fund!

WWF Canada

WWF is pleased to announce that applications are now being accepted for our Loblaw Water Fund  –open to Canadians working on the ground for a healthy water future. The Loblaw Water Fund provides grants to registered charitable organizations and not-for-profits working to protect and restore the health of freshwater in Canada through direct on-the-ground projects. The Loblaw Water Fund supports action-oriented initiatives that take specific steps towards ecosystem restoration and/or the collection of data for long-term water monitoring.

The picturesque Flathead Valley, British Columbia - Project location for the Flathead Wild campaign. ©Living Lakes Canada
The picturesque Flathead Valley, British Columbia – Project location for the Flathead Wild campaign. © Living Lakes Canada

Launched in 2013, we’re proud to showcase these highlights from the first recipients of WWF’s Loblaw Water Fund who are now halfway through their projects.

  • Wood turtles are a species at risk in New Brunswick. The first-ever wood turtle study in New Brunswick’s Petitcodiac watershed, conducted by the Petitcodiac Watershed Alliance, is being funded by the Loblaw Water Fund. In June the first wood turtle discovered by the PWA team on the study was affectionately named Britney the wood turtle.
  • Through Evergreen’s Uncover Your Creeks program, volunteers have been working diligently in Toronto and Vancouver to steward their watersheds. Dana McDonald of Evergreen shares some beautiful stories and narrative about their efforts here.
  • WWF joined Futurewatch Environment Development and Education Partners in their celebration along the Humber River in Toronto, to celebrate Canadian Rivers Day and encourage newcomers to the city to actively engage in nature.
  • The Community Based Environmental Monitoring Network in Halifax (CBEMN) has had an extremely busy 6 months with their CURA H2O project welcoming new stewardship partners, adding new features to their database, and creating a smart-phone app so that partners can upload their water monitoring data directly from the field (check back soon for a full update on this work!).
  • The Living Lakes Canada team has conducted water quality monitoring in five different drainages to support the Flathead Wild campaign goals of expanding the Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park and establishing a Southern Rocky Mountain Wildlife Management Area in the Flathead Valley (full update coming soon!).

WWF-Canada CEO David Miller and staff with representatives from Loblaw Water Fund grantee Futurewatch Environment Development and Education Partners enjoying a community event on the Humber River. © Riannon JOHN / WWF-CANADA
WWF-Canada CEO David Miller and staff with representatives from Loblaw Water Fund grantee Futurewatch Environment Development and Education Partners enjoying a Canadian Rivers Day event on the Humber River. © Riannon JOHN / WWF-CANADA

Canada is home to hundreds of lakes, rivers, streams and wetlands – a wealth of freshwater that needs our help to become and remain healthy. No group or individual can do this work alone which is why WWF is proud to support our country’s dedicated freshwater community in their efforts to care for our waters.
Watershed groups getting equipment training with the Northeast Avalon ACAP, NL, through the CURA H2O project. © Oliver Woods.
Watershed groups getting equipment training with the Northeast Avalon ACAP, NL, through the CURA H2O project. © Oliver Woods.

If you’re a registered charity or not-for-profit, you can find this year’s Applications and Guidelines for funding at wwfcastg.wwf.ca/waterfund, closing December 15, 2014. If you have questions about the fund, contact us here.
Join us to help protect Canada’s most precious resource!