Duke Energy provides $ 170,000 in grants to organizations that conserve and enhance North Carolina’s natural resources

0

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina, 28 October 2021 / PRNewswire / – The Duke Energy Foundation awarded $ 170, 000 in kind grants to support a wide range of environmental initiatives across North Carolina, funding stewardship and education programs that help communities protect their natural resources and mitigate the effects of climate change.

Since 2015, the Duke Energy Foundation has awarded more than 150 nature scholarships in North Carolina totaling nearly $ 7 million, investing and working with environmentally focused community partners to protect and increase access to the state’s natural resources.

“As we move forward with that of North Carolina clean energy transition, we remain committed to investing in organizations that help ensure that future generations benefit from our state’s incredible natural heritage, ”said Stephen de may, Duke Energy North Carolina President. “By supporting nonprofit organizations that achieve significant results in this important work, we are helping to conserve natural resources and ensure equitable access to programs in the communities we serve. “

The Nature Conservancy, which has received over $ 1.2 million in funding from the Duke Energy Foundation for a variety of initiatives in North Carolina in the last decade, will use this year $ 25,000 grant to document the history of indigenous and enslaved communities on their reserves by Blade, Brunswick, Henderson, hook, Waiting, Robeson and Sampson counties – in particular, TNC’s Dunohoe Bay, Calloway Forest, Green swamp, Nags Head Wood, Bat cave and the Rivière Noire sites.

“This grant from Duke Energy will provide resources to research the history of our reserves and understand their importance to indigenous peoples and enslaved Africans,” said Debbie Crane, Communications Director of The Nature Conservancy’s North Carolina chapter. “When The Nature Conservancy acquires land, we typically focus on its location, biodiversity, riparian corridors and current landowners. Understanding the deeper history of these reserves is one way Conservancy respects and makes a first not towards the honor of the indigenous and enslaved communities that came before us.

“Duke Energy has been a valuable partner in our work throughout North Carolina for over a decade, “she continued.” Such year-to-year continuity is essential for nonprofits like ours, as we help people connect with nature. “

This year’s nature grants have been awarded to the following community organizations. Everyone’s quotes on the impact of grants can be found here.

Beneficiaries of 2021 nature grants

Statewide

  • Legacy of conservation – $ 20,000. The Conservation Corps North Carolina program will create a new community weekend program to introduce young people to local natural areas, conservation and camping. Youth will work on projects that preserve parks and trails in or near their communities while learning about environmental stewardship. The program will enhance access to natural areas, cultivate an environmental ethic and inspire participants to consider careers in natural resources.
  • North Carolina Wildlife Federation – $ 25,000. The NCWF will mobilize 1,200 volunteers to restore habitat in urban and rural communities that are historically marginalized and more susceptible to the negative impacts of climate change. By removing 75,000 pounds of trash and planting 3,500 pollinating trees and plants, the NCWF will restore habitat, improve water quality, sequester carbon and lower urban temperatures.
  • Nature conservation – $ 25,000. TNC will work with academic researchers to determine the role of indigenous peoples and enslaved Africans in its Dunohoe Bay reservations, Calloway Forest, Green swamp, Nags Head Wood, Bat cave, and portions of the Black River which cross Blade, Sampson and Waiting counties, working to better understand and honor those connected with the land before its preservation.

Regional

  • Cleveland / Lawndale County Water Park (Cleveland) – $ 25,000. The planned Lawndale Park is located along the First Broad River on Main Street. The grant will help support the wider development of a riverside beach, an access area for paddling, a walking loop with picnic platforms, a fishing, an open green, restrooms, a visitor orientation area, a maintenance facility and parking, providing recreational and educational opportunities to residents and drawing tourism to the area.
  • Sylvan Heights Bird Park (Halifax) – $ 15,000. The funds will expand the existing Duke Energy Nature Walkway and connect to an existing bridge for wetlands, helping visitors and students from Kindergarten to Grade 12 on educational excursions appreciate and understand the importance of wetlands in the natural environment.
  • The Conservation Fund (Wake) – $ 25,000. In partnership with the City of Raleigh, Walnut Creek Wetlands Community Partnership, and residents of the Rochester Heights and Biltmore Hills neighborhoods, the grant will help restore native wetland habitat and improve access to Walnut Creek Wetlands Park, creating more equitable access to the park for these historic African-American neighborhoods.
  • TreesCharlotte (Mecklenburg) – $ 20,000. The funds will support a city-wide tree planting program, TreesCharlotte’s popular ‘everything must go’ tree gift at the end of the spring planting season, during which at least 600 trees will be distributed. The event is open to all Charlotte residents, who can get two free trees for their garden – a long-term investment in clean air, energy savings and stormwater mitigation while creating beauty. visual and shadow.
  • Triangle Land Conservancy (Triangle) – $ 15,000. The Good Ground initiative aims to permanently conserve premium forests and farmland while providing farmers of color with access to affordable land in the Triangle region. The grant will help staff a land acquisition and distribution program that will expand opportunities for people of color not only to acquire land, but also to support their local communities.

Duke Energy Foundation

The Duke Energy Foundation provides philanthropic support to meet the needs of the communities where Duke Energy customers live and work. The Foundation contributes more than $ 30 million annually in charitable donations and is funded by Duke Energy shareholders’ dollars. You can find more information about the Foundation at duke-energy.com/foundation.

Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK), a Fortune 150 company headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, is one of the largest energy holding companies in the United States. Its electric utilities serve 7.9 million customers in North Carolina, Caroline from the south, Florida, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky, and collectively own 51,000 megawatts of energy capacity. Its natural gas unit serves 1.6 million customers in North Carolina, Caroline from the south, Tennessee, Ohio and Kentucky. The company employs 27,500 people.

Duke Energy is implementing an aggressive clean energy strategy to create a smarter energy future for its customers and communities – with targets of at least 50% carbon reduction by 2030 and zero net carbon emissions by 2050. The company is one of the leading renewables in the United States. supplier, on track to own or purchase 16,000 megawatts of renewable energy capacity by 2025. The company is also investing in major power grid upgrades and expanding battery storage, and is exploring zero-emission power generation technologies such as hydrogen and advanced nuclear.

Duke Energy was named to Fortune 2021’s “World’s Most Admired Companies” list and Forbes’ “America’s Best Employers” list. More information about the company is available at duke-energy.com. The Duke Energy News Center contains press releases, fact sheets, photos, videos and other material. Illumination from Duke Energy features stories about people, innovations, community topics and environmental issues. Follow Duke Energy on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook.

Media contact: Bill Norton
800.559.3853

SOURCE Duke Energy

Related links

www.duke-energy.com

Share.

Leave A Reply