Nonprofit Organization Offers Grant Funds To Reduce Greenhouse Gases

SAN BERNARDINO>> A nonprofit organization, Incredible Edible Community Garden, in partnership with CAL FIRE, is offering $5,000, $10,000 and $20,000 grants along with specialized technical assistance to San Bernardino County nonprofits, municipalities, school and special districts and organizations as part of their Neighborhood Grows program. The purpose of the Neighborhood Grows mini-grants program is to restore the local environment and improve regional air quality through the planting of large canopy, climate appropriate trees. The projects supported by the program will build San Bernardino County's capacity to measure and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. According to a press release, it is the intent of IECG to equip and position San Bernardino County as the leader in transitioning to and thriving within a green economy while simultaneously benefiting local businesses in the transportation and logistics industries. One of three conferences that interested applicants are strongly encouraged to attend will be in San Bernardino at SANBAG, located at 1170 West 3rd St. on Sept. 21 from 9-11 a.m. The Incredible Edible Community Garden is focused on strengthening neighborhoods with community gardens and agroforestry projects that engage stakeholders from the bottom-up and is a nonprofit organization made up of only volunteers. "(The mission) is to enrich our community by providing plots in a central gathering place for members to plant vegetables, herbs and edible flowers, and enjoy the fruits of our labor; to offer an opportunity for members to "adopt" families-in-need, shelters, transition homes, homeless people, food banks, etc. to share their crops; to provide our community with sustainable produce in times of natural or man-made disasters as well as during hard economic times and to foster 'green' programs, environmental awareness, healthy organic living and a sense of community," according to the Incredible Edible Community Garden website. Some of the previous projects Incredible Edible Community Garden has been a part of includes the Aquaponics Exhibit at San Bernardino County Museum, The Garden on the Farm in Ontario, The Garden in Upland and Montclair Community Fruit Park.