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Four local outdoors groups are sharing $30,000 in grants from the retailer Recreational Equipment Inc. The non-profit organizations were nominated by REI's newest store in Columbia and its Timonium store.
Baltimore Water Alliance, also known as the Gwynns Falls Watershed Association, is getting a $7,000 grant to help improve conditions and accessibility at the city's Herring Run Park. Activities will include a volunteer program to restore meadows and woods.
The Howard County Conservancy is receiving $10,000 to train volunteer naturalists who will lead school and adult programs. The money also will be used to help restore the habitat at the conservancy's 232-acre farm in Woodstock.
Mid-Atlantic Off-Road Enthusiasts (MORE) is getting $6,000 to provide tools, gear and other supplies for volunteers who will be repairing two heavily used recreational trails near Baltimore’s Loch Raven Reservoir.
The Parks and People Foundation's Gwynns Falls Trail Council is receiving $7,000 for its volunteer, outreach and education programs directed at the 30 neighborhoods adjacent to the trail.
This year, REI donated $3.7 million to non-profit organizations nationwide in 2010, representing about 3 percent of the previous year's operating profits. Since 1976, the cooperative has given nearly $31 million to outdoor and conservation non-profit organizations.
