Above: Guent Salzmann (photo courtesy of Glenda Jaffray)
The Nature Manitoba Salzmann Songbird Grant has been established to provide funds for projects and activities in Manitoba which support the conservation and/or management of native songbirds, or education on the value of native songbirds, including measures to reduce mortality, increase nesting success, etc.
The Salzmann Songbird Grant is supported with funds from the Manitoba Bluebird Fund. (Nature Manitoba Grants and Subsidies | Nature Manitoba ) This fund was established in 2011 by Guent and Elva Salzmann (https://www.naturemanitoba.ca/news-articles/remembering-guent-salzmann) to support Nature Manitoba’s ongoing efforts to preserve, conserve and manage native songbirds in Manitoba, through its Manitoba Bluebird Fund Committee.
Nature Manitoba has dedicated over 100 years to promoting appreciation and understanding of nature, and to providing opportunities to connect with nature and enjoy it in a non-intrusive and non-destructive manner. Nature Manitoba also promotes ecological integrity as the basis for stewardship of our parks and natural areas.
Through the efforts of its Manitoba Bluebird Fund Committee, Nature Manitoba has been subsidizing the planting of trees and shrubs, the purchase of window-strike prevention materials and a variety of songbird monitoring and research projects in co-operation with a number of government and NGO partners.
Each year, Nature Manitoba intends to award one or more Salzmann Songbird Grants of up to $5000 each towards projects or activities that support on-going preservation, conservation and management of native songbirds in Manitoba. For 2024 applications are due on March 30th, with the grant awarded by the end of May. It is anticipated that timelines will change in subsequent years.
Projects or activities that qualify for funding under the Salzmann Songbird Grant include:
- research on native songbirds and/or their critical habitats, including fieldwork, particularly work directed towards reducing or stopping the serious decline in songbird numbers;
- purchase/leasing of all or partially native habitat lands for the purpose of conservation of songbird habitat;
- management of critical native songbird habitat, including nesting structures;
- restoration of native songbird habitat and/or native songbirds;
- educational activities on the value of native songbirds, the critical causes of population decline and practical solutions.
Our priority is to reduce or stop the decline in native songbirds in Manitoba. Projects or activities involving multi-species bird communities that include songbirds may also be considered if they can be shown to address this priority.
Funding may be used for hiring, training and support personnel to carry out the activities and may be used for reasonable administrative costs. It is expected that Salzmann Songbird Grant funding will be supplemented by funding from other granting agencies and/or in-kind contributions by the applicant.
Salzmann Songbird Grant funding will be provided to successful applicants in May and must be used by March 31 of the following year. Grant recipients will be required to submit a report at the end of the grant year (March 31) detailing how the Grant funds were used and how these funds contributed to the aims of the project. A completion and reporting extension may be possible, in extenuating circumstances, with the approval of Nature Manitoba.
Salzmann Songbird Grant recipients will be required to provide Nature Manitoba with copies of any publications, photos, videos, presentations, digital or printed media on the project. Recipients will also have an opportunity to write an article for the Nature Manitoba e-newsletter or make a presentation to the membership, where appropriate.
Successful applicants will be required to acknowledge the funding contribution of Nature Manitoba in any publication, report, presentation or other media resulting from the use of this grant.
The Salzmann Songbird Grant will be available to Manitobans or other qualified individuals, landowners, researchers or agencies working in Manitoba. This includes colleges, universities, non-governmental organizations, community groups, municipal, provincial, federal and/or international agencies.
Applicants must email information in a PDF format to Nature Manitoba (manitobabluebirdfund@naturemanitoba.ca) no later than midnight, March 30th, to be considered for funding in 2024, containing the following information:
Must include:
- Name, address, email and phone number of Applicant;
- Background information about the Applicant appropriate to the project, including qualifications, related experience and activities;
- Detailed description of project, with overall goals, specific objectives, and activities;
- Time frame for completion, including dates for deliverables and/or measurable results;
- Overall Project Budget, including other potential and confirmed sources of funding, in-kind contributions, and details of how the Salzmann Songbird Grant funding will contribute to the project;
- How the results of the project/activities will be shared or disseminated.
Supplemental/Supporting:
- A CV and references;
- For organizations or government agencies, include a brief history and mandate;
- A recent annual report;
- If the Applicant is an organization or government agency, the name/contact information for the project leader should be included.
For questions about the program please email the Nature Manitoba office at manitobabluebirdfund@naturemanitoba.ca
A PDF version of the grant details can be found here.