The Southeast Michigan Resilience Fund, a public-private partnership, has announced grants totaling $1.5 million from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) in support of five projects selected to benefit communities and wildlife habitats in the region.

The grants will leverage an additional $900,000 in matching funds for a total investment of $2.4 million in the projects, which aim to strengthen regional climate resilience and improve water quality for communities by installing green infrastructure, increasing urban tree canopy, and restoring riparian and floodplain habitat. Grant recipients include Detroit Zen Center, Trinity Health Michigan, Wayne State University, Detroit Hives, and St. Suzanne Cody Rouge Community Resource Center.

Established in 2018 as a collaboration with NFWF, the fund works with corporate, foundation, and government funding partners, including Cleveland-Cliffs; the Fred A. and Barbara M. Erb Family, Kresge, and Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. foundations; the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the U.S. Forest Service.

“The Southeast Michigan Resilience Fund is prioritizing grantmaking where the needs of communities and nature meet,” said NFWF executive director Jeff Trandahl. “The grants awarded will enhance the way communities engage with nature by creating public green space, enhancing the quality and connectivity of habitat, and reducing the impact of climate change through green infrastructure.”

(Photo credit: Getty Images/ JaySi)