Port of Seattle now accepting applications for second round of ecology grants

By Omie Drawhorn
The board of Highline SeaTac Botanical Garden had a vision to create a Neighborhood Heritage Garden that told the story of the neighborhood that once existed on the site. The garden would honor the history of the gardens and homes that were relocated as Seattle-Tacoma International Airport made space for its third runway.
When the Port of Seattle announced the Airport Community Ecology (ACE) Small Matching Grants Fund last year, the board of the Highline SeaTac Botanical Garden saw an opportunity to help fund the project and submitted an application. The garden was one of 11 recipients of the first round of grant funding in the fall.
The Small Matching Grants Program offers community members of SeaTac, Burien, and Des Moines the chance to apply for up to $10,000 of Port funding to improve the local environment. The Port is now accepting applications for the second round of grant funding, which must be submitted by March 26.
Community organizations, chambers of commerce, service organizations, youth or athletic associations, or other associations located in or providing services in the cities of SeaTac, Burien and Des Moines can apply for funding.
Wendy Morgan, vice president of the board of the Highline SeaTac Botanical Garden, said the grant is helping bring the vision of the Neighborhood Heritage Garden to life. Specifically, the grant provides funds for students of Highline College’s Urban Agriculture Class to recreate the design of historic gardens in the area, including an inventory of plant and tree species from decades ago. Volunteers will also conduct research of the site’s history through interviews and public records.
Morgan said the creation of the garden is important for the community of SeaTac.
“It shows a history of what a neighborhood was like in the 1940s and 1950s,” she said. “For me it’s something that brings the community together. The goal for us of getting that grant is that it fosters more community involvement in a public space that people can enjoy and learn from.”
She also said that by investing in these community projects, the Port is showing that they are a partner in the health and wellbeing of the communities that they impact.
Visit https://www.portseattle.org/Environmental/Pages/ecology_fund.aspx to find out more information about the grant application process and to download the application.
Those with questions regarding their application or the grant program can attend one of four upcoming information sessions held in SeaTac, Burien and Des Moines. The first one will be from 5:30-7 p.m. this Tuesday, January 23 at Valley View Library in SeaTac.
See below for a complete list of the sessions:

• SeaTac
  Tue., Jan 23
  5:30 – 7 p.m.
  Valley View Library, 17850 Military Rd S., SeaTac, WA
• Burien
  Wed., Feb. 7
  5:30 – 7 p.m.
  Burien Community Center, 14700 6th Ave SW, Burien, WA
• Des Moines
  Wed., Feb 28
  5:30 – 7 p.m.
  Des Moines Library, 21620 11th Ave S., Des Moines, WA
• SeaTac
  Thurs., March 1
  5:30 – 7 p.m.
  Valley View Library, 17850 Military Rd S., SeaTac, WA