SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) - The Georgia Department of Natural Resources announced six new grant projects that intend to improve opportunities for the public to learn about native animals and plants across the state.

The projects range from Chehaw Park and Zoo, McIntosh Reserve Park and a number of walking trails in Athens.

The funding is from the Georgia Nongame Wildlife Conservation Fund. Officials say the fund aims to develop and enhance wildlife viewing options with a focus on State Wildlife Action Plan species and habitats.

“Georgia’s Wildlife Action Plan is a comprehensive strategy to conserve these animals, plants and places before they become rarer and costlier to conserve or restore,” the press release read.

Per the release, the grant recipients are as follows:

• Chehaw Park & Zoo in Albany – $5,000 to help develop public viewing aspects for a new “head  start” and education program focused on state-rare gopher frogs.
• Manomet’s Georgia Bight Shorebird Conservation Initiative – $4,935 to print and distribute beach-bird guides for use with steward programs to raise awareness of priority species.
• Georgia Conservancy – $4,500 for prescribed-fire field days in Tattnall, Taylor and Pulaski counties targeting landowners and bird watchers as part of a Burning for Birds Collaborative.
• Birds Georgia – $4,998 to refurbish and reopen the wildlife viewing tower near a historic dairy barn on part of DNR’s Altamaha Wildlife Management Area managed by the city of Darien.
• Athens-Clarke County Leisure Services Department – $2,680 to create and install interpretive signage for chimney swift habitat conservation at swift nesting and roosting towers on city trails.
• Friends of McIntosh Reserve Park – $3,170 to provide spotting scopes, binoculars and related gear for wildlife viewing and education programs led by the group at the Carroll County park.

Experts say nearly three out of five Georgia residents over the age of 16 took part in some form of wildlife view whether that is observing, feeding or photographing. Three years ago in 2022, 148 million people took part in wildlife viewing. That is almost 60% of the population.

For more information on the proposals, click here.

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