The Aquidneck Land Trust is now accepting applications for the Merritt Neighborhood Fund, which supports small parks, community gardens, and other natural spaces on Aquidneck Island.
Established in 1999, the fund was named after the late Peter Merritt, the Aquidneck Land Trust’s president emeritus. The Merritt Neighborhood Fund awards grants of up to $2,500 to each project that it funds. These projects are selected for their potential to strengthen community identity and character, as well as promote land conservation and stewardship through community volunteerism.
The 2023 grant cycle featured projects such as Aquidneck Community Table, Butts Fort Hill Walking Path, Clean Ocean Access, God’s Community Garden, Emmanuel Church, FabNewport, Four Hearts Foundation, James L. Maher Center, Newport Tree Conservancy, Newport Spring Leadership Committee, Norman Bird Sanctuary, and Portsmouth Dog Park.
“The Merritt Neighborhood Fund is a wonderful program,” Terry Sullivan, Executive Director, said. “It provides the Aquidneck Land Trust the opportunity to support community-based efforts to protect and enhance small green spaces in neighborhoods. Giving a little love, in the form of small grants, to these projects helps people connect to the land around them and beautify the community for years to come.”
Applications for the 2024 Merritt Neighborhood Fund grants are open now through April 1, 2024. More information is available on the Aquidneck Land Trust website.
Generative artificial intelligence (AI) assisted a What’sUpNewp journalist with the reporting included in this story.
