What do bears, bicycles, and energy-efficient buildings have in common? What about the boreal forest and water stewardship? Sour gas research, parks planning, and behavior change? All of them are the focus of projects championed by Alberta environmental organizations that were recently awarded grants from Alberta Ecotrust totaling approximately $150,000.

Selected from among 22 proposals by a committee comprising partners from the corporate and environmental NGO sectors, the eight projects that received grants all address pressing environmental concerns. For the first time in 12 years, for example, the Province is considering changes to the way it allocates water - who gets it, how much of it, and when. Taking advantage of the opportunity, Water Matters, a provincial water stewardship group, developed a program to increase the water awareness of Albertans and encourage their participation in upcoming public consultations. The project received a grant of $28,500, which, says executive director Danielle Droitsch, "will allow us to advance common sense proposals to conserve healthy water flows and meet basic human water needs."

Among other proposals receiving awards:

• $8,000 to the Greater Edmonton Alliance (www.greateredmontonalliance.com) to build common interest among faith groups, unions, businesses, community groups, government and utilities to help citizens retrofit and promote greener buildings in the Greater Edmonton region.
• $7,500 to The Crowsnest Pass Conservation Society's (www.crowsnestpassconservation.ca) "Living with Bears" program, which encourages citizens and businesses to be "Bear Smart" and either eliminate or manage wildlife attractants.
• $30,000 to Canadian Parks and Wilderness Northern Alberta (www.cpawsnab.org) to promote the inclusion of its visionary plan for maintaining the health of the province's boreal forest in Alberta's new Land Use Framework.
• $7,500 in staffing support to the Good Life Community Bicycle Shop (www.goodlifebikes.ca), which promotes cycling as a healthy, low-carbon transportation alternative by providing affordable recycled bikes, free workshops, and a bicycling resource centre to Calgarians.

Since the start of the economic downturn, funding for grassroots environmental work has become scarce, and Alberta Ecotrust's contribution is helping fill the gap. Pat Letizia, Alberta Ecotrust executive director, reports that, "our partners are holding course through the current storm, and we feel very fortunate to be able to continue our support for important projects from Crowsnest Pass to Fort McMurray." Alberta Ecotrust grants are made possible by the collaboration and financial support of concerned corporations, individuals and the environmental NGO sector. Since 1992, over $6.5 million has been granted to community organizations working to preserve Alberta's air, water and land.

For a complete list of the projects receiving awards in May 2009, see the current grant projects listing in the Results section.