CORNWALL, Ontario – The River Institute is pleased to announce a capital grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation. The grant of $41,000 was used to purchase a new boat with sonar GPS for the River Institute’s environmental research, monitoring, and education programs. A staff contest settled a name for the new boat, called Macromia, after a genus of large dragonflies commonly known as ‘river cruisers’.
Dr. Jeff Ridal, River Institute Executive Director, is thrilled with the new asset. “The River Institute boat is essential for our projects that contribute to research and conservation, habitat protection, species at risk, and ecosystem health,” he says, “Many of our research and monitoring programs encompass the entire Upper St. Lawrence River region from Kingston ON to the Ontario-Quebec border. ‘Macromia’ is used extensively for conservation and monitoring projects that also incorporate field training and experience for students and volunteers.”
The OTF Capital grant was acknowledged on October 7 prior to the River Institute’s Science and Nature Untapped virtual speaker series. “I am pleased to see that this funding helps enable the River Institute to continue its important work in monitoring, protecting, conservation and ecosystem health of the St. Lawrence River,” said Jim McDonell, MPP for Stormont-Dundas-South Glengarry.
The Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF) is an agency of the Government of Ontario, and one of Canada’s
leading granting foundations. OTF awarded more than $114 million to 644 projects last year to build healthy and vibrant communities in Ontario.
The River Institute was established in 1994 as a unique community partnership involving the City of Cornwall, government, education, business and industry, and the Mohawks of Akwesasne. Its mandate is environmental research and education with a focus on the Great Lakes / St. Lawrence River ecosystem. As a non-profit charitable organization, the River Institute raises its own funds for all essential costs, including salaries, administration, overhead, and operations. Grants, sponsorships, and donations provide specific funding for research and special projects, together with unrestricted contributions from individual donors and River Champions. To support the River Institute visit https://www.riverinstitute.ca/donate/
