Libertyville High Receives Habitat Action Grant

LIBERTYVILLE, IL — Libertyville High School is among seventeen high schools across the state that has been awarded a Schoolyard Habitat Action grant from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources and the Illinois Conservation Foundation.

In total, $15,700 was recently doled out through the Illinois Schoolyard Habitat Action Grant program, including $1,000 to Libertyville High School to help pay for a pollinators wetland at the school, according to a news release.

The state grants are meant to support the development or enhancement of wildlife habitat, such as pollinator gardens and other projects, on school grounds or other public places. Funding for the grants are provided through donations to the Illinois Conservation Foundation.

"The Illinois Schoolyard Habitat Action Grant program provides children and educators with an opportunity to increase the use of native plants in landscapes while benefiting wildlife species," said IDNR Director Natalie Phelps Finnie. "By participating in these projects, students learn their efforts can make a positive difference in the world, and they gain experience in problem-based learning through planning, developing, and maintaining the habitat."

Nearly $360,000 in Illinois Schoolyard Habitat Action Grant funding has been distributed since the program began.

"We want school children to learn about nature through hands-on experiences," Finnie said. "It's our goal to have Illinois Schoolyard Habitat Action Grant program projects developed in every county of the state and eventually at every school. So far, we have supported projects in 86 of Illinois' counties."

More information on the state grant program, and other schools that received Illinois Schoolyard Habitat Action grants, can be found here.