<div dir="ltr"><div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-size:small">Please share!</div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-size:small"><br></div><h3 style="text-align:left"><font color="#008975" face="lato, helvetica neue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif">2026 Community Grant Program is Now Open!</font></h3><p>Casco Bay Estuary Partnership (CBEP) would like to announce the 2026 round of CBEP Community Grants. </p><p><strong>Deadline:</strong> <strong>Monday, January 26, 2026, 5:00pm</strong></p><p>CBEP supports new partnerships and creative projects that connect people with Casco Bay and its watershed. Community Grants are small, community-focused grants ($500- $5,000) that support environmental education, stewardship, and community engagement projects focused on Casco Bay and its watershed. The program is open to municipalities, nonprofits, and educators, in collaboration with smaller community groups if appropriate.</p><p><strong>Examples of past projects</strong></p><p><em>These are illustrative only—CBEP welcomes new ideas and approaches.</em></p><ul><li><strong>Student-led science and stewardship</strong>, such as middle-school and high-school classes monitoring clam recruitment, water quality, or local habitats.</li><li><strong>Hands-on environmental education</strong>, including outdoor learning programs for early childhood groups, watershed demonstrations in classrooms, and field experiences tied to school curricula.</li><li><strong>Community science and volunteer efforts</strong>, such as bioblitz events, shoreline or island stewardship days, and citizen monitoring of marine species.</li><li><strong>Programs serving diverse or underserved youth</strong>, including summer programs that introduce immigrant and multilingual students to Casco Bay.</li><li><strong>Arts, storytelling, and community events</strong> that connect people to the Bay through intergenerational programs, public talks, creative projects, or guided experiences.</li><li><strong>Collaborations with local resource managers</strong>, such as projects that engage local committees and other municipal partners in habitat education.</li></ul><span class="gmail_default" style="font-size:small">FMI and to apply: <a href="https://www.cascobayestuary.org/about-us/grant-opportunities/">https://www.cascobayestuary.org/about-us/grant-opportunities/</a></span><br clear="all"></div><div><span class="gmail_default" style="font-size:small"><br></span></div><div><span class="gmail_default" style="font-size:small">Questions? Contact Victoria Boundy, <a href="mailto:victoria.boundy@maine.edu">victoria.boundy@maine.edu</a></span></div><div><span class="gmail_default" style="font-size:small"><br></span></div><div><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div align="left"><span style="background-color:rgb(106,168,79)"><font size="2" face="Tahoma"><span style="color:rgb(23,96,155);font-weight:bold;background-color:rgb(106,168,79)"><span><span style="background-color:rgb(243,243,243)"></span></span></span><span style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif"><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255)"><b style="color:rgb(11,83,148)">Victoria Boundy </b><font color="#0b5394">(she/her/hers)</font><i style="color:rgb(11,83,148);font-weight:bold"><br>Community Engagement and Planning Manager</i><br><b style="color:rgb(11,83,148)">Casco Bay Estuary 
Partnership</b></span></span></font></span></div><span style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif"><span style="color:rgb(11,83,148)"><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255)">
</span></span></span><div align="left"><span style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif"><span style="color:rgb(11,83,148)"><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255)"><font size="2">PO Box 9300, 34 Bedford 
Street</font></span></span></span></div><span style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif"><span style="color:rgb(11,83,148)"><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255)">
</span></span></span><div align="left"><span style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif"><span style="color:rgb(11,83,148)"><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255)"><font size="2">Portland, ME 
04104-9300<br>(c) 207.522.5402<br></font></span></span></span></div><div align="left"><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255)"><span style="color:rgb(39,78,19)"><font size="2" face="Tahoma"><span style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif"><span style="color:rgb(11,83,148)"><a href="http://www.cascobayestuary.org" target="_blank">www.cascobayestuary.org</a></span></span><br></font></span></span></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>