 Grants Request |
MOU Savaloja Grants
Terry Savaloja was a well-known, respected Minnesota birder and T.S. Roberts Award recipient who died in 1992. Each year, the MOU gives grants to bird-related projects from the Savaloja Memorial Fund. In 2024, seven projects were awarded Savaloja Grant funds.
Carpenter Nature Center (CNC) received $2,000 to deploy eight nano-tags on Wood Thrush as part of a 20-state collaborative research project aimed at furthering our knowledge of the Wood Thrush lifecycle and conservation needs. Summary from the lead researcher: An international group of bird-conservation partners are initiating a hemispheric and collaborative Motus*-tagging project across the breeding and nonbreeding ranges of Wood Thrush with a goal of deploying 600 Motus tags to better understand migratory connections, routes, timing, and survival across the full life-cycle to inform future conservation and management for this Species of Greatest Conservation Need. The Wood Thrush is a priority species in 25 states and Canada; improving our understanding of the biological and ecological needs and migration patterns of Wood Thrush between their breeding and nonbreeding ranges would facilitate further understanding of targeted habitat management actions along this species’ migratory routes and strengthen ties to full life-cycle efforts like Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies’ (AFWA) Southern Wings Program to better plan for and address this species’ conservation needs.
Springbrook Nature Center received $2189.70 to enrich its environmental education programs with Minnesota-specific field guides and binoculars that are specifically designed for children to use. Currently, Springbrook Nature Center sees more than 10,000 students and nearly 500 summer campers every year, ranging from 4-14 years old. By providing children with binoculars specifically designed for children, as opposed to our current collection of outdated adult binoculars, they can enable them to inquire and explore with fewer incumbrances while still providing the benefits of the tool. The Birds of Minnesota Field Guides will enable visitors of all ages to practice identifying birds and to learn more about the life history of individual birds listed in the guide. This project would expand and diversify Minnesota’s birding community by providing birding experiences to youth in an environment conducive to learning and skill-building. Children participating in Springbrook Nature Center’s birding programs will become birders for the duration of the program, and birding may become a lifelong passion for individuals who may have otherwise never been able to try birding.
MYBirdClub received $1080 to fund their programming. MYBirdClub specializes in professionally guided field trips that connect youth (and their families) to birds and birding. They also provide adult field trips upon request. By connecting kids with nature, they also draw in their adults as active participants. MYBirdClub helps instill a desire to care for birds and shows kids and adults how they can weave personal conservation actions and efforts into their everyday lives. This project benefits birds by inspiring the next generation of birders, conservationists, and environmentalists. Most of their bird outings served approximately 20% non-white and/or neurodiverse youth. They work to attract a diverse group of young birders by marketing their outings in groups specifically for non-white populations like Outdoor Afro, Urban Bird Collective, and in community Facebook groups. In addition, MYBirdClub contracts with public libraries to offer birding programs which connects them to a more diverse population across the metro.
The National Loon Center and Northern Waters Land Trust received $1700 to develop and lead a workshop series together, “From Land to Water: Conserving Minnesota’s Loons,” from May through September. They have successfully piloted a small number of workshops between 2022-2023 providing general education on watershed conservation and progress in Common Loon research. They are requesting funds to expand the program scope to a monthly series of complimentary workshops that highlight specialized conservation topics related to loons presented by experts in the field and provide training for statewide volunteer loon monitoring programs. Our goal for the new workshop series is to reach a wider audience and provide a hands-on experience for program participants to acquire the knowledge needed to take actionable steps toward protecting Minnesota loons. The workshops are an opportunity to foster connections between local residents, conservation leaders, and birding communities.
The Pierz Elementary School received $1300 to host the Raptor Center, U of M, who will spend a full day at the school offering four sessions to elementary students lasting 45-60 minutes. Elementary students from Holy Trinity, Pierz Mn, will also be invited to attend the Raptor Center sessions. The Center will feature 4 ambassador raptors (owl, hawk, falcon, eagle) teaching what makes these birds unique with students seeing them live on the glove. Professionals from the Raptor Center will present the natural history of each bird, what food they eat, hunting habits, where they live and what makes them stand out amongst birds. Having this opportunity to get up close and personal is a fun and exciting way to learn while being introduced to the requirements to care for birds in captivity. This eye-opening program will inspire students to protect raptors and the environment we share. Four sessions will be offered, two in the morning, and two in the afternoon, for 1st-6th grades totaling 622 students. Sessions will be divided by grades with a short Q&A.
The Urban Bird Collective received $1900 for their project to engage new birders from diverse backgrounds (BIPOC, LGBTQ+) in urban bird conservation through a Chimney Swift roost monitoring program. This outreach and engagement effort will also generate valuable data on Chimney Swift roosting locations and phenology and help inform a planned long-term Chimney Swift monitoring program. This project will identify, map, and monitor Chimney Swift nests and roosts in the Twin Cities metro area. The majority of swift roosts and nests are in older buildings and houses, concentrated in urban areas. Once identified, swift roost locations can serve as community gathering sites for Swift Night Out events, to engage urban communities and reach new birders. They will also develop relationships with building and property owners to raise awareness of urban swift habitat and promote preservation of buildings on which swifts depend, as well as encourage native vegetation plantings at these sites to improve urban bird habitat. By focusing our efforts in urban areas, we can reach new communities of birders and promote preservation of urban buildings and engage communities where they live.
The Nature Connection, in collaboration with the Headwaters Science Center, received $1830 for educational birds of prey programs for the public, especially children. The funding will help to accomplish The Nature Connection’s mission to enhance awareness, appreciation and respect of North American Birds of Prey to individuals of all ages and backgrounds. Programs funded in 2024 through the Savaloja grant would be for educational birds of prey (also called raptors) to be held at the Headwaters Science Center in Bemidji, Minnesota. The goal is to increase awareness and understanding of raptors. Funding would allow this organization to provide programs free to the public at the Headwaters Science Center. In northern Minnesota, many in attendance are members of Indigenous communities, percentage being about 20-25%.
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