Plant Grants

The Preserve has a proud tradition of supplying native plants to community organizations and school groups to promote native plants in the landscape and in gardens throughout the Delaware Valley. What began as an informal donation program has grown into a thoughtful grant process to keep up with demand and provide access to native plants to those who have the greatest need.

Program Background

The Plant Grants Program enlists a broader audience to help advance our mission: Bowman’s Hill Wildflower Preserve increases the knowledge and use of native plants by serving as an educational resource and destination that inspires conservation action. The Plant Grants Program provides “starter gardens” comprised of native species to nonprofit organizations and public agencies throughout the Delaware Valley who are engaged in community gardening, restoration or beautification projects. In 2023, the Preserve will set aside 650 native plants to support up to 8 projects. Each Plant Grant recipient will be awarded up to 100, mostly herbaceous plants, with limited shrubs and trees available.

Program Goals

• Provide education about the environmental importance of native plants
• Facilitate the transition to native landscapes on public lands
• Amplify the Preserve's impact throughout the Delaware Valley

Eligibility

• Applicants must be a nonprofit organization, public agency or educational institution
• Project must be on public land or land owned by a nonprofit in the Delaware Valley
• Applicants must be able to pick up plants from the Preserve
• Applicants must have ability to maintain the planting area for a minimum of three years

Evaluation Criteria

Applicants will be ranked and awarded based on the following criteria:

• Eligibility of the applicant
• How well the project meets the goals of the Plant Grants Program
• Project location within the Delaware Valley
• Availability of plants from the Preserve's nursery and suitability for project conditions
• Audience served (with underserved populations taking priority)
• Long term viability of project

Application Deadlines and Requirements

• Spring Plant Grant applications will be accepted from 1/1/2023 – 4/30/2023
• Fall Plant Grant applications will be accepted from 6/1/2023 – 8/31/2023
• All plants must be picked up within 30 days of grant approval. Plants not picked up will be returned to inventory and applicants will be required to wait 1 year before reapplying.
• Please send inquiries and applications electronically to nursery@bhwp.org

Grantee Requirements

Grantees must sign a grant agreement with the Preserve agreeing to certain conditions, including the maintenance of the project area after completion, willingness to install a project sign (provided by the Preserve pending a review of the completed project), educating the public on the nature of the project and submitting a report on the project with photographs within a year.

Download the Application