Pollination is a critical ecosystem service that helps to maintain the ecological integrity of native plant communities. Native pollinators—bees, butterflies, moths, bats and birds—play a critical role in sustaining ecosystems and provide essential services to American agriculture (estimated at as much as $9 billion annually). Interest in conservation of native pollinators has grown rapidly over the last few years as several species have experienced dramatic population declines.
Project Details: Texas Master Naturalist Chapters are invited to apply for Pollinators for Texas project funding, generously sponsored by H-E-B, with the goal of making large scale impacts for pollinator habitats. This could include developing and expanding on the ground conservation and habitat projects and significant outreach programs focused on native pollinators and pollinator habitat conservation. Projects must follow Texas Master Naturalist service guidelines, be publicly accessible and include a care and maintenance plan for post-project longevity. Projects may include installation of large-scale pollinator habitat, interpretative signage or enhancement of current Texas Master Naturalist pollinator projects, public educational programming focused on pollinators or innovative conservation projects focused on native pollinators and their habitats. The goal of this project is to utilize funding from H-E-B to generate measurable positive impact on native pollinators and their habitats across the state of Texas, while improving the communities in which H-E-B employees and customers live, work and recreate.
Project Award Amount: Variable funding up to $3,000 for projects
Funder: The Texas Master Naturalist Project in partnership with H-E-B
Application Submission Period: October 15 – November 30, 2024
Notification of Award: January 2025
Project Completion Deadline: Projects should have measurable impacts (i.e. plants, acres, hours, outreach, etc.) by November 1, 2025 with all funding spent by this date. Please note in your application if your project will not be complete by this time.
Project Report Deadline: A mid-year and final full report form will be sent to all Chapter award recipients to complete. The mid-year project report will be due in July. All project final reports are due to the Texas Master Naturalist State Office no later than December 1, 2025. A statewide impact report will be compiled by December 31, 2025.
Application Materials: Applicants must complete the online application form (below) in its entirety for their application to be considered submitted and eligible for consideration. If you would like to work on your application prior to submission (the form will not let you save progress), you may download a Word version HERE:
A submission checklist may be used as a guide for chapters in their submission process. This checklist is attached below, but is only for personal use, please do not attach this in the application submission:
Please note, the Word version and checklist are for your personal use only—applications MUST be submitted via the form below! Emailed applications will not be accepted.
Additionally, applicants MUST upload an AgriLife Vendor Application (W-9) to be eligible for consideration. This form is attached below, please download it and fill it out prior to submitting your application.
Eligibility: All Texas Master Naturalist Chapters are eligible to apply. Projects submitted must first be coordinated with and approved by your chapter’s board locally. Chapters located within an H-E-B region will be given priority in funding. This does not exclude those chapters in non-H-E-B regions (West Texas and the Panhandle); however, projects must be clearly tied to local pollinators or those that will migrate through this region to other parts of the state.
VMS: All Texas Master Naturalist volunteer service hours worked in connection with this Pollinators for Texas project must be logged as required in VMS within 45 days. Hours contributed to the project in September and October MUST be logged by October 31, 2025.
Project Considerations:
- Application for project funding must be received via the online application form within the designated application period to be considered for the relevant project cycle.
- Projects on private property are not eligible.
- Priority will be given to projects proposing large scale or regional pollinator focused projects not normally accessible to chapters without these funds. Neighboring Texas Master Naturalist Chapters may consider working jointly on these landscape level projects in a region.
- Priority will be given to projects engaging with and involving local communities.
- This Pollinators for Texas project does not support funding for advertising, individuals, transportation, political events or fundraisers of any kind.
- All applicants must provide a long-term maintenance and care plan for their project. Funding from the project may be spent on irrigation/care as needed. Project budgets will be reviewed with impacts prioritized.
- All selected projects must incorporate either physical signage or a social media marketing plan. Guidelines for marketing will be shared with selected projects.
- All selected projects must fill out a post-project report detailing the final impact of the project. Projects are to be completed by November 1, 2025.
Application
Sorry. This form is no longer available.
Application Available Oct. 15th – Nov. 30th
FAQs
Informational Webinar Recording
Anymore questions? Email us at TMNPollinatorsforTexas@ag.tamu.edu