The Aquidneck Island Land Trust is supporting local community and neighborhood groups with $10,148 in grants through its yearly Merritt Neighborhood Fund program.
Six groups received awards between $998 and $2,500 for projects that build community identity and encourage land conservation and stewardship through volunteer work.
This year’s grant recipients include Aquidneck Elementary School, which plans to expand its Learning Garden and make it accessible for people with disabilities. The Newport Tree Conservancy will use its grant to plant 100 trees in Miantonomi Memorial Park.
Other winners are Hawk & Handsaw Farm for community picnic table materials, Norman Bird Sanctuary for better deer fencing around its Hügelkultur garden, and the Town of Portsmouth for both dog-friendly native plants and accessible park furniture.
The Merritt Neighborhood Fund, set up in 1999, honors Peter M. Merritt, the organization’s president emeritus. Since it began, the Land Trust has given out over $191,000 through this program.
Each year, a team of Land Trust volunteers and Board Members picks the grant winners.
Founded in 1990, the Aquidneck Island Land Trust is Rhode Island’s oldest accredited land trust. It has protected 2,854 acres across 102 properties on Aquidneck Island.
Details about the 2026 Merritt Neighborhood Awards will be available in March 2026. Anyone interested in supporting the fund can donate at ailt.org/our-work/merritt-fund.
