The Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division (WRD) announces the availability of funds for watchable wildlife and wildlife education projects. Beginning in 1999, WRD established an annual program to provide funding for organizations that were working to develop or improve wildlife conservation, education and recreation in and around their area. Using funds earned from the sale of nongame wildlife license plates, the program has provided more than $275,000 to fund watchable wildlife and wildlife educational projects throughout the state.

“The primary goal of this program is to increase the opportunity for Georgians to view and learn about Georgia’s nongame wildlife,” said Mike Harris, Chief of the Nongame Wildlife and Natural Heritage Section, the section within WRD that heads up the program. “Georgia’s wildlife diversity ranks among the highest in the United States, and it is important for WRD to support projects that help Georgia’s citizens and tourists to enjoy and learn about our natural heritage.”

Organizations in the private, public and nonprofit sectors, as well as schools and local governments throughout the state, are invited to send in proposals for watchable wildlife and wildlife education projects. Wildlife education projects can be programs, facilities, exhibits or other activities where the goal is to educate students, teachers, or the public about nongame wildlife conservation. Watchable wildlife projects can include facilities improvements or other activities that will develop or improve opportunities to observe nongame wildlife on lands accessible to the public, such as county or local parks. Proposals will be rated on their overall benefit to wildlife conservation, education and recreation. Those scoring the highest will be selected for funding.

“These projects are an important way for us to ensure that wildlife conservation, education and recreation efforts are being conducted statewide. By working with local organizations and governments, we can pool our resources and do more to benefit Georgia’s nongame wildlife,” Harris said.

Examples of projects that have received funding in the past include educational I-Spy Packs for Dunwoody Nature Center that allow patrons to check out backpacks containing educational tools focused on the watchable wildlife opportunities at the center; Interpretive Railing Panels along the trails at Fernbank Museum of Natural History that teach visitors about the wildlife that can be encountered in the forest; and the development of Wildlife Educational Exhibits by the Georgia Nature-Based Tourism Association that will educate visitors to the state about the variety of wildlife viewing and educational opportunities available and how to take advantage of them.

The request for proposals is available at the Wildlife Resources headquarters office in Social Circle. Please call (770) 761-3035 for more information. The request for proposals can also be viewed online by visiting www.georgiawildlife.com and clicking on the Nongame Animals & Plants icon and then clicking on the Request for Proposals, Watchable Wildlife and Education Projects heading. The deadline for applications is April 22, 2005. Notification of awards will be made by May 20, 2005.

Georgians can support nongame wildlife conservation, education and recreation projects by purchasing a wildlife license plate for their vehicles, or by donating to the “Give Wildlife a Chance” State Income Tax Checkoff. Since December 2003, more than 365,000 of the nongame bald eagle tags have been sold, raising more than $6.9 million for conservation. The primary source of funding for the Nongame Wildlife and Natural Heritage Section, the plate depicts a bald eagle silhouetted before the American flag.

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