The Edge of Appalachia – Adams County Fund is a continuation of The Nature Conservancy’s longtime commitment to Adams County, reflected most notably in the Richard and Lucile Durrell Edge of Appalachia Preserve System.
One of the most biologically diverse natural systems in the Midwest, this collection of preserves sits in Adams County and is owned and managed by The Nature Conservancy (TNC) and the Cincinnati Museum Center. At more than 20,000 acres, it is Ohio’s largest privately owned nature preserve.
Grant and scholarship applications
2024 funding applications closed on Dec. 12. Grant and scholarship recipients will be announced in January 2025.
The Edge of Appalachia – Adams County Fund invests in projects serving Adams County, Ohio, that address one or more of these three focus areas:
- People and Nature – The fund supports projects primarily focused on protecting the environment, generating renewable energy and providing educational programs that emphasize hands-on learning and reflection.
- Education – The fund supports scholarships for students seeking degrees in ecology, forestry, wildlife ecology or related natural resource fields; trade, vocational or technical training in fields that contribute to energy efficiency, agriculture and land stewardship; and programs that foster diversity, equity, justice and inclusion (for example, Appalachian studies or women’s studies).
- Reducing Disparities – The fund supports programs that improve food security, educational achievement or medical care for groups disproportionately disadvantaged because of their race, income level, gender, religion, sexual orientation, mental health, veteran status, or physical and developmental disability.
Previous grant and scholarship recipients
The first grants and scholarships from the Edge of Appalachia – Adams County Fund, totaling $92,865, were awarded in February 2024.
Grant recipients:
- Adams County 4-H Advisory Committee to support experiential learning through a field trip to the Cincinnati Natural History Museum and a field day at an Adams County nature preserve, connecting local youth and their families to nature and to one another
- Adams County Public Library to add 60 Wi-Fi hotspots, which will be loaned to Adams County residents who lack adequate home internet access
- Adams County Travel & Visitors Bureau to fund interior design, displays and educational materials for the new Adams County Welcome Center at Adams Lake State Park
- Green Township to support the restoration and relocation of historical graves at Foster Cemetery that are at risk due to the erosion of the banks of Ohio Brush Creek
- West Union Elementary School to support the school’s Family STEM Nights for three years and experiential learning opportunities for students and their families
Scholarship recipients:
Three Adams County residents were each awarded $5,000 scholarships from the Edge of Appalachia – Adams County Fund Scholarship.
Edge of Appalachia – Adams County Fund review committee
The fund is advised by Adams Countians to address the issues that matter most to the community, including how these funds can drive economic growth and improve quality of life locally. We invite those who hold Adams County closest to their hearts to join their friends, neighbors and fellow community members as we work together to make Adams County an even better place to call home.
If you are an Adams Countian passionate about advancing quality of life in Adams County, we invite you to submit a nomination on behalf of yourself or others to sit on the Edge of Appalachia-Adams County Fund review committee. The nomination form is available here.
For more information and updates, please follow this webpage, FAO and TNC’s social media, or email info@ffao.org.