Florida Wildflower Foundation

Transcription

1 Florida Wildflower Foundation La Florida, Land of Flowers, Community Grant Program Application Instructions There are two parts to the application process: the proposal and the budget form. Both parts must be submitted by the deadline for the application to be considered for funding. The links at the bottom of this page will connect you to the online proposal application and the budget form. Because of the nature of potential applicants and the online software that we are using to compile proposals, all responses to the proposal must be answered in one session in order to submit the proposal. Therefore, it is strongly recommended that you: 1. Read all questions and have your answers ready when you link to the online proposal application. 2. For short-answer questions, we suggest that you type your answers into a word processor or text editor, and then use cut-and-paste to insert your answers. Formatting will not be preserved when you paste your responses into the text boxes. Within 3 business days after your proposal and completed budget from have been submitted, the Project Manager will be ed a PDF copy of the submitted application. Applications will be accepted from April 1, 2013, to 5 p.m. May 10, When you are ready to submit a proposal: Click here La Florida Planting Grant Proposal To download the Budget Form: Click here Budget Form Thank you. -- Planting Committee, Florida Wildflower Foundation

2 Page 1 of 12 2/25/2013 The Florida Wildflower Foundation's La Florida, Land of Flowers, Community Grant Program provides planting grants for government agencies within the 24 counties and 2 municipalities that have adopted an acceptable Wildflower Resolution, Florida Native Plant Society (FNPS) chapters within those counties or municipalities, as well as any other county or municipality whose governing body officially adopts an acceptable Wildflower Resolution prior to the May 10 grant application deadline.** Up to 15 grants will be awarded during the program s cycle. This is a matching grant program. Grants will be awarded in the form of a $500 certificate to purchase Florida Native Wildflower seeds or plants (but not both) from Florida's Wildflower Seed Co-op or a Florida Association of Native Nurseries member. Successful applicants must provide evidence of in-kind or monetary contributions of $500 or more. The recipient and manager of these grants must be either a government agency or an FNPS chapter (see #3 for FNPS chapter requirement). Applicants are strongly encouraged to partner with local community groups, nonprofit organizations and businesses. The goals of the La Florida, Land of Flowers program are to: Increase the visibility and knowledge of Florida s native wildflower species. Increase awareness of the environmental, historical and cultural significance of Florida s native flora. Demonstrate landscape use of Florida native wildflowers and native plants in general. Enhance the aesthetics and enjoyment of public places by creating a sense of place that is uniquely La Florida, land of flowers. Projects must be on highly visible public properties that experience frequent pedestrian, cyclist, and/or motorist traffic. Examples of such sites include parks (entrance or areas adjacent to high-use facilities), rails-to-trails paths that are used often or are adjacent to heavily traveled roads, community green spaces, entrances to public buildings such as libraries, and roadside rights-of-way. Proposals must include a management plan for maintaining wildflower plantings through Applications will be accepted from April 1, 2013 to 5 p.m. May 10, Funding only will be awarded to projects meeting program goals and judged as having a high likelihood of success. Grant awardees will be notified the week of June 3, Wildflowers must be planted by Fall 2013, with a final report due Sept. 30, The potential exists for more than one grant to be awarded in the same county. Only one grant, however, will be awarded per project or location, even if different government agencies or FNPS chapters apply. All decisions of the Foundation are final. This grant application must identify a Project Manager who is accountable for all responses in the application and final report, and is responsible for project oversight and responding to all inquiries. TO SUBMIT AN APPLICATION, ALL REQUIRED QUESTIONS (THOSE MARKED WITH AN *) MUST BE ANSWERED IN ONE SESSION. This program is funded by donations made through the sale of Florida s State Wildflower license plate. To purchase a tag or become a member of the Florida Wildflower Foundation visit the Membership web page. **2011 and 2012 projects are not eligible for additional funding.

3 Page 2 of Enter the first 3 letters of your first or last name followed by the month and date of your birth. Use 2 digits each for the month and day. For example, JAM0409.* Maximum Allowed: 7 characters. Currently Used: 0 characters. This section provides the Foundation's Planting Committee with an overview of the proposed project. 2. In which county will this project be located?* 3. What is the name of the government agency that will be leading this project? For FNPS Chapters leading a project : The Chapter must cooperate with a government agency from their county. Please provide the name of the goverment agency as well as the contact information for the person in that agency. * Project Manager contact information. (Recipients must be located in Florida.) 4. Name* First Last 5. Address* Street Address Address Line 2

4 Page 3 of 13 City State / Province / Region United States Postal / Zip Code Country 6. * 7. Phone Number* - - ### ### #### 8. Cell Phone Number* - - ### ### #### 9. Please provide an overview of how Florida native wildflowers will be used in this landscaping project.* 10. Please list community groups, nonprofit organizations, other government agencies, businesses and other sponsors and describe how they will participate in this project. Include the contact person for each, with phone number and address.*

5 Page 4 of 13 Please summarize your budget: 1) total income, broken down by total cash and total inkind donations, and 2) total expenses. See below for information about submitting budget details. Please remember that the Foundation requires a match of at least $500, which can be monetary contributions and/or in-kind goods and services. Include the $500 Foundation grant in your in-kind total. CLICK HERE for instructions about submitting budget details. Please the completed budget form to JNorcini@FlaWildflowers.org. This form must be submitted for your proposal to be considered for funding. 11. Total Income* 12. Cash* 13. In-Kind Donations* 14. Total Expenses* 15. List any other information as to why the Foundation should provide Florida native wildflower seeds or live plants for this project.*

6 Page 5 of 13 In this section, you will be asked to provide information about the project site. 16. The project site is located on public property.* Yes No 17. What is the total approximate area where wildflowers will be planted (square feet or acres)?* 18. What light exposure best describes where most or all of the wildflowers will be planted? * 19. How would you describe the soil moisture where most or all of the wildflowers will be planted? Please keep in mind that if rainfall is limited during the upcoming fall and winter, the best chances for success will be in areas that are naturally moist or are irrigated.

7 Page 6 of 13 * 20. What is the soil type at the project site? Please consult your County Extension Agent or a soils expert if needed. * 21. To test how appropriate the site is for Florida native wildflowers, how far into the soil can a pencil or pen be inserted with minimal effort? * 22. Existing vegetation can strongly affect the successful establishment of sustainable wildflower plantings. Characteristics of a good site to establish native wildflowers are: sparse to moderately dense turf; few to no aggressive weedy species like nutsedges (nutgrasses) and green briers. In addition, avoid sites with any plants found on the list of Nonnative Invasive Species that Occur in Florida. To the best of your knowledge, is the site of your proposed project suitable for establishing Florida native wildflowers? The Foundation strongly encourages you to consult an expert if you are unsure about the identity of existing vegetation at your wildflower site.* Our site definitely is suitable for establishing Florida native wildflowers. Our site probably is suitable for establishing Florida native wildflowers. A botanist, ecologist, or a well-qualifed expert was consulted. 23. Regarding site preparation methods, please respond to the following:* Agree Disagree Any herbicides used will be in accordance with all federal, state, and local laws, ordinances, regulations and rules.

8 Page 7 of 13 Agree Disagree For sites to be seeded, soil disturbance has been minimal for at least the past 8 months, and will be minimal (hence, no tilling). For sites to be seeded, thatch as well as grass or planting clippings will be removed as needed to ensure soil-to-seed contact. For sites to be seeded, the site will be prepared to ensure that seeds do not become buried more than 3/8 inches. 24. When responding to this item, refer to the Florida Plant Atlas as a guide to help you determine if a native wildflower species is appropriate to use in your region of Florida. Refer to the Florida Native Plant Society's Plants For Your Area to determine if the native wildflower species is appropriate for your planting site in terms of moisture, drought, salt tolerance, etc. The Foundation strongly suggests that you or call Florida's Wildflower Seed Co-op or the Florida Association of Native Nurseries about the availability of the seeds or plants you want for your project. Wildflowers to be established (by plants or seeds) will be:* Agree Disagree N/A Native and herbaceous 3 In accordance with the Foundation's definition of native wildflowers 3 In accordance with the Foundation's definition of native cultivars 3 Appropriate for my region of the state 3 Appropriate for the wildflower site conditions Regarding planting practices:* Agree Disagree N/A The date for seeding will be in accordance with the dates noted in the publication 3

9 Page 8 of 13 Agree Disagree N/A Seeding Dates for Florida Ecotypes of Native Wildflowers and Grasses. All containerized plants will be watered as needed to ensure survival. 3 Projects comprised of long-lived perennials will be mulched with pine straw, oak leaves, small pine bark chips, or similar organic mulch. Mulch thickness will be 2 to 3 inches after settling; mulch will be replenished as needed to maintain this thickness 3 The following will not be used as mulch: cypress mulch, grass clippings, or compost (compost will facilitate germination of weed seeds) Regarding establishment and management practices:* Agree Disagree N/A Through the project's duration, the wildflowers will be inspected every 2 to 3 weeks during the first 3 months, and then every 4 to 6 weeks thereafter so that appropriate actions can be taken to maximize wildflower growth and minimize weed growth. 3 Plants established by seed will not be mowed/string-trimmed from March 1 to November 21 (unless approved by the Foundation in advance). 3 Wildflowers will not be fertilized during the first growing season; any subsequent fertilization shall be a slow release fertilizer and at 1/2 of the lowest suggested rate on the fertilizer package. 3

10 Page 9 of 13 Agree Disagree N/A Herbicides will be used in accordance with label directions and in accordance with all federal, state, and local laws, ordinances, regulations, and rules Required signage:* Agree Disagree Within 1 month after the wildflowers have been planted, a small sign provided by the Foundation will be erected in a prominent location at the site and will remain on the site as long as the wildflowers remain viable. 28. Additional educational signage is optional but strongly encouraged. Please describe any additional signage, for example, signs that identify wildflowers by species. 29. An important goal of the La Florida Planting Grant Program is to increase awareness and knowledge of the environmental, historical and cultural significance of Florida s native flora. Select the media outlet(s) in which a story will be published that describes the native wildflower landscaping project and includes information about the environmental, historical and/or cultural significance of Florida s native wildflowers. Stories should attribute funding to the State Wildflower license plate and the Florida Wildflower Foundation. Select all that apply; you must select at least one media outlet.* Yes No Newspaper Newsletter Television

11 Page 10 of 13 Yes No Web Site YouTube 30. OPTIONAL Please list any additional methods that will be used to increase awarenes and/or knowledge of the environmental, historical and cultural significance of Florida s native flora. Applicant Agreement for Final Report The final report will be an online questionnaire assessing how well the project has met the four goals of the La Florida Planting Grant Program. Please respond to the following regarding the Final Report:* Agree Disagree Report will be submitted no later Sept. 30, 2014 Six high-resolution, color images will be ed to planting@flawildflowers.org (with Project Title in subject line) At least two images will show the native wildflowers in peak bloom

12 Page 11 of 13 Agree Disagree At least two of the images will be peopleoriented (for example, site preparation, planting, a school group visiting the site, etc.) All ed images will be sharply focused, 300 DPI or more, and in jpg format Thank you for completing this application. All applicants will be notified the week of June 3, 2013 about whether their project was funded. The queries that follow are planned to be part of the final report and are provided as an aid in developing proposals. The queries are shown only as descriptive text; wording may vary when the final report questionnaire is posted, which will be at a later date. 1. Please write a summary ( words) about the project in its entirety. In the summary, please include a brief description of your major accomplishments and greatest challenges. 2. In 2014, the wildflowers are best described as: Extremely showy Moderately showy Slightly showy Not very showy Please upload to Flickr at least one image of the entire wildflower landscaping project at peak showiness, and include the project title and image date in the descriptive information. 3. List all species (must include scientific name) that were part of this wildflower landscaping project. Note those that were purchased with funds from this grant. 4. A story was published in a newspaper or newsletter that described the wildflower project and included information about the environmental, historical and/or cultural significance of Florida s native wildflowers. (Y/N) Newspaper/newsletter name Date of publication Reporter Hyperlink to article or PDF of article; if available photograph included (Y/N) Approx. circulation 5. A summary or story about the wildflower project was published on a web site, and the story or summary showed the planting and included information about the environmental, historical and/or cultural significance of Florida s native wildflowers. (Y/N)

13 Page 12 of 13 Web site address Date posted Approx. number of views 6. A story was done by a local TV station that showed the wildflowers and included information about the environmental, historical and/or cultural significance of Florida s native wildflowers. (Y/N) TV station City Air date/time Reporter Hyperlink to video, if available Approx. viewership when story aired If story was available online, approx. number of views 7. A story was posted on YouTube that showed the wildflowers and included information about the environmental, historical and/or cultural significance of Florida s native wildflowers. (Y/N) Posting date Length (min: sec) Reporter Hyperlink to video Approx. number of views 8. The impact of your Florida native wildflower landscaping project is very important to the Foundation. As a result of your wildflower project: a. Because of your planting, is any government agency, business, group, or organization in your county: Establishing a new native wildflower landscape bed or meadow, or planting native wildflowers along a road or highway (Y/N) Strongly considering establishing a new native wildflower landscape bed or meadow, or planting native wildflowers along a road or highway (Y/N) Considering establishing a new native wildflower landscape bed or meadow, or planting native wildflowers along a road or highway(y/n) b. Are you aware of any homeowners within your county that will: Establish a new native wildflower garden or landscape bed (Y/N) Strongly considering establishing a new native wildflower garden or landscape bed (Y/N) Considering establishing a new native wildflower garden or landscape bed (Y/N) 9. If optional outreach methods or educational programming was part of the project, please describe the results and include demographic data. a copy of any handouts and images of educational signage to planting@wildflowers.org. 10. If the number of people viewing or visiting the native wildflower landscaping project was quantified, please provide the results. Section Break

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