Foothills and Prairie Grant Program

The Foothills and Prairie Grant Program, offered by the Aiken Audubon Society, supports projects focused on the conservation and study of birds in the Pikes Peak region. Grants of up to $6,500 are available for educational and scientific initiatives. Past funded projects include bird banding stations and educational programs at local nature centers. The program aims to continue the legacy of ornithological research in Colorado by fostering community engagement and ecological preservation.

Ornithology in the Pikes Peak region is an intriguing field of study for enthusiastic amateurs and dedicated professionals alike. Its rich history owes much of its current vibrant state to pioneering individuals like Charles Aiken, William Sclater, and W.W. Arnold, whose efforts continue to impact and guide future generations. Aiken’s singular efforts were so essential to the study of birdkind and wildlife in Colorado that his name graces the Pikes Peak Region’s chapter of the National Audubon Society. His connections with Sclater and Arnold helped build a sturdy foundation for birding that perpetuates to this day.  Aiken’s work would become the nucleus of ornithological study in Colorado Springs.
The first iteration of the Aiken Audubon Society (AAS), the Aiken Ornithological Society, formed in 1950, and was active in continuing the work of naturalists like Aiken, Dr. William W. Arnold, and William Sclater in Colorado Springs. Becoming a chapter of the National Audubon Society in May 1971, it is fitting that the Aiken Chapter was adopted by the national Audubon Society in the centenary of Charles Aiken’s family relocating to Colorado.
The Pikes Peak Region’s Aiken Audubon Society carries on the tradition of educating others as its forbearers did, offering field trips, newsletters, awarding research and conservation grants, and advocating for conservation efforts of natural habitats.
Aiken Audubon has two ongoing grant programs, one of which is the Foothills and Prairie Grant Program. AAS supports projects that are educational and scientific in nature and related to birds and their habitats. For the Foothills and Prairie Grant Program, requests of up to $6500 will be considered for funding.
Examples of past projects receiving grants from AAS include:
plant propagation for riparian restorationbird banding station at Chico Basin Rancheducational programs at Bear Creek and Fountain Creek Nature Centersthe Colorado Breeding Bird Atlas

Eligibility

The Foothills and Prairie Grant Program through AAS is open to individuals and organizations conducting research, education programs, or conservation projects focused on foothills and prairie ecology related to birds in the Colorado Front Range region.

Ineligibility

The Foothills and Prairie Grants cannot be applied to the following costs:Institutional overhead/indirect costs.Researcher salaries (stipends for field assistants are permitted).Requests for equipment where use goes beyond the scope of the project.