Grant funds are sourced primarily from Clean Water Act settlements to reduce the pollution of local waterways brought by the Public Trust for Conservation representing St. Johns Riverkeeper
JACKSONVILLE, FL – A new environmental fund at The Community Foundation for Northeast Florida has made its first grant to enhance water quality in Northeast Florida.
The grant, totaling $20,000, will fund the establishment of new oyster beds along Riverview Park on the Trout River, a partnership between LISC Jacksonville and the newly formed nonprofit Riverview Collective Community Organization. The project will place 40 oyster shell habitats, which are 30-pound balls of recycled oyster shells and cement, near the shoreline to create approximately 140 feet of oyster reef. Oysters are well-known as “filter-feeders” that help clean waterways of pollutants. This grant will be celebrated as part of “OysterFest,” a community event to be held on April 12, 2025, from 11 AM to 4 PM at Riverview Park, 9620 E. Water Street.
“A single oyster can filter up to 50 gallons of water a day. By providing habitat for oysters to grow, this project will help to improve water quality and demonstrate the benefits of nature-based solutions,” said Jimmy Orth, Executive Director of St. Johns Riverkeeper. “They’re a simple and effective tool for growing natural oyster reefs and enhancing our waterways.”
The Northeast Florida Environmental Conservation Fund was established at The Community Foundation in 2022 by the Public Trust for Conservation and St. Johns Riverkeeper to receive funds resulting from Clean Water Act violations to protect and enhance Northeast Florida’s natural environment. The Public Trust coordinates payments into the fund as part of legal settlements meant to bring industrial facilities into compliance with their stormwater permits and prevent pollutants, including carcinogenic heavy metals, from entering local waterways. The Community Foundation has convened an expert advisory committee to assist in making grants designed to remediate the impacts of pollution on water and air quality. The fund is also open to donations from the public.
“The fund has been set up to ensure that our environmental litigation is providing the greatest possible community benefit,” said John Henry November, Executive Director of the Public Trust, who added that St. Johns Riverkeeper and the Public Trust are excluded from receiving grants from this Fund, to ensure independent and fair grantmaking. “We chose to entrust The Community Foundation and a panel of subject matter experts to make decisions about grants. This helps ensure these dollars are put toward the highest and best use for the people and wildlife impacted by pollution.”
The oyster reef project in Riverview Park is a good example of the type of project the grants will support. The project will improve water quality near the site of the pollution that led to a lawsuit by the Public Trust and St. Johns Riverkeeper. The recipients of the inaugural grant seek to engage local residents in educational programming about water quality and the role of oysters in the ecosystem, including students at nearby schools of IDEA Bassett, Rutledge Pearson Elementary and Highlands Elementary School.
“Establishing an oyster reef in the Riverview community along the Trout River is more than an environmental effort—it’s an investment in cleaner water, stronger marine habitats, and a healthier future for our community,” said Marshiray Wellington, Chair of the Riverview Collective Community Organization. “Oysters are nature’s water filters, and their reefs provide essential protection against erosion. A thriving reef means a thriving river—let’s build one together.”
About The Community Foundation for Northeast Florida
The Community Foundation for Northeast Florida (www.jaxcf.org), Florida’s oldest and one of its largest community foundations, works to stimulate philanthropy to build a better community. The Foundation helps donors invest their philanthropic gifts wisely, helps nonprofits serve the region effectively, and helps people come together to make the community a better place. Now in its 61st year, the Foundation manages more than $700 million in assets as of 12/31/2024 and has made more than $850 million in grants since inception.
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Contact: Stephanie Garry Garfunkel
VP, Strategic Communications
904-224-7208| sgarfunkel@jaxcf.org