Grants and Scholarships

Grants

The Goodrich Research Grant Program

About the Goodrich Environmental Research Grant Program

Planning for a Goodrich Research Grant program was initiated after the HLCT received a generous gift from the estate of Sally Goodrich, the founding board chair of the Hingham Land Conservation Trust. The unrestricted gift was given in memory of Sally’s son Robert. Additional gifts to HLCT made in Sally’s memory, following her death in July 2020, were added to the gift from the Sally Goodrich estate, and a separate HLCT account was established.

The HLCT board determined that we would use this opportunity to create an environmental research grant program to be launched in 2022, the Trust’s 50th anniversary year. To bring the fund to our launch target of at least $50,000, all members of the board of the HLCT, and other generous supporters, made targeted contributions to the fund. The launch goal was met, but HLCT continues to solicit contributions to the fund so that research grants can be awarded for many years to come. Please click here to contribute.

Important Dates for 2024/25

November 15, 2024: Deadline for receipt (by mail) of application. You may download a Word version of the application by clicking here.

November/December 2024: Project Presentations by FINALISTS to Selection Committee (via Zoom)

On/by January 31, 2025: Grant Award organization recipient notified, and announcement issued

The purpose of the annual grants is to fund research projects:

— that will assist in the conservation of our local* open space (land and water) and the flora and wild creatures of the land, water and air who depend on this environment, and

— to improve access to/ encourage area residents to enjoy and respect the importance of our parklands and conservation areas.

* local = in and around the town of Hingham, MA—including but not limited to the adjacent towns of Cohasset, Hull, Norwell, Rockland, and Weymouth. This South Shore geography includes the Weir River Watershed which has been identified by the Massachusetts Water Resources Commission as highly stressed. The South Shore also has, quite frequently in recent history, experienced periods of significant drought which have further stressed the natural environment.

Research grants will be awarded annually. Annual dispersals will total up to $5000, likely to fund one selected project each year. We will consider making grants that will only partially cover the cost of a project if applicants can verify that they will fully fund their project by seeking additional/ matching contributions of financial or in-kind support. Grants will be given for a selected project to an applicant institution who qualifies as eligible as described below.

  • Colleges and universities with environmental studies programs (undergraduate and graduate school level.)
  • Nonprofit institutions involved with maintaining open space and waterways or protecting wildlife.
  • The Towns of Hingham, Cohasset, Hull, Norwell, Rockland and Weymouth.

Projects must be undertaken within the South Shore — in and around Hingham, MA and adjacent towns. Routine property maintenance or ongoing operations of applicant organizations will not qualify for funding.

Applications will be evaluated by a selection committee of 5 members, including HLCT board and former board members, a representative of the Goodrich family, and a community member with science/environmental expertise.

After evaluation of applications, this committee will make recommendations to the HLCT board for annual grant recipient(s).

As this is a new grant giving program, we are providing examples of the types of projects that might be funded with a Goodrich Research Grant. (The committee is open to other projects that fit the purpose of the Goodrich Research Grant program):

  • Mapping of natural resources: e.g., using iNaturalist app within a conservation area to ID and map plants—creating an inventory of a property’s native, non-native, invasive plants, etc. (as foundation for potential future projects for land trusts, conservation groups); A Follow-on project might be an action plan re a specific invasive plant within a conservation property.
  • Pollinator related: Soil testing and planning to convert one or more designated fields in conservation areas to pollinator meadows.
  • Research re health/sustainability of Weir River Watershed/ Estuary: e.g., assessing effectiveness of local town/water company drought-related water restrictions and water company rebate programs; or Water quality sampling.
  • Access to conservation areas: e.g., How can we connect open spaces and make them more accessible without the use of a car?
  • Trail-related, e.g., Assessing/mapping conditions of trails in a conservation area—width, surface, other conditions; or GIS mapping of new trails that have been created by hikers.
  • Research/testing of how to create partnerships to sustainably engage users/neighbors/garden groups/seniors in important stewardship of open spaces—e.g., bringing garbage bags to collect garlic mustard or other invasive plants along walking paths in parklands.
  • Social sciences research: how to reach/incentivize people to change behavior related to natural resource stewardship—e.g., choices made in home landscaping to use less water/ encourage native pollinators.
  • Brook trout habitat research: measuring/mapping water temps in watershed streams/ ponds.
  • Beach Erosion related: e.g., assessment of dunes/sea grass planting at Hingham Town beach.
  • Climate change research (perhaps in connection with a Town Committee.)
  • Forest Health research: e.g., measuring/assessing impact of deer population on a woodland.
  • Encouraging environmentally friendly transportation, e.g.: Doing research necessary to update the now-much-out-of-date printed “Hingham by Bike” map created in 1976 (That was a project of the Hingham Public Library and Hingham High School.)

2022
Wild Cohasset Inc
Weymouth Conservation Commission
Read Press Release

2023

Bare Cove Park, Town of Hingham
Holly Hill Farm
Friends of Wompatuck State Park
Read Press Release

Sally Goodrich, Kathy Reardon and Will Ertman

From left: Sally Goodrich, Kathy Reardon and Will Ertman at the HLCT’s 40th Anniversary Celebration in 2012

About Sally Goodrich

Sally Goodrich, who died in the summer of 2020 after a long and wonderful life, was the inspirational leader of the team of founding trustees who together launched the Hingham Land Conservation Trust in 1972. Sally was one of those determined visionaries who make things happen. She cared about the environment for watershed and wildlife protection, and about the importance of land conservation for the health and well-being of neighborhoods. By bringing together a team of individuals who shared her passion for the environment, she spear-headed the work that inspired several gifts of land as well as conservation restrictions to protect open space in Hingham, Massachusetts.

Scholarships

The Philip O. Swanson Scholarship

The Philip O. Swanson Scholarship is an annual cash award given by the Hingham Land Conservation Trust to a graduating senior at Hingham High School with interest in the environment and sustainability. The high school STEM faculty selects the annual winner, who is profiled in the Trust’s annual newsletter.

Phil Swanson, who died in 2004, served as a founding board member of the Trust and was a frequent, and very popular, leader of our seasonal walks. Mr. Swanson will be fondly remembered for his love of nature and his many years of teaching science in the Hingham Public Schools.

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