When young students and their families explore Marin’s open space, they learn a lot while enjoying time with each other. Families in the Canal neighborhood went on a bird count and found out what’s in their own backyard.   Read more.

Learn more about access to parks and green space

Read the guidelines for this grant area

Find out about the results of our grantmaking

MCF Strategic Plan:

Access to Parks and Green Space

Marin has a long tradition of creating and preserving open space. However, many of its residents, for various reasons, are not able to benefit from this unique local resource. Despite the abundance of public lands in the County, underserved communities lack adequate access to open spaces and programs that meet their needs for healthy well-being, environmental education, and stewardship.

An analysis by the Trust for Public Land identified Marin City, the Canal and other areas in San Rafael, and low-income neighborhoods in Novato as having limited access to parks and open space.

Also, there are fewer opportunities for low-income youth and youth of color to access effective outdoor opportunities in Marin County, particularly ones that engage them in high-quality environmental education, physical activity, job readiness experiences, and stewardship opportunities.

Strategy: Assist underserved residents—those who are low-income, people of color, youth, persons with mobility impairment, and older adults—to use and benefit from natural areas, parks, and other green spaces throughout the county.

MCF is funding efforts to develop, refine, and implement green space programming that is culturally relevant and meets the needs of underserved residents. It is also supporting activities that support community-based planning for existing and new green spaces that benefit underserved communities.

Grants made since the implementation of MCF’s Strategic Plan:

Grants
Organization Description Awarded Amount
A Home Away From Homelessness To provide homeless children a respite through outdoor programs and retreats. $20,000
A Home Away From Homelessness To provide homeless children a respite through outdoor programs and retreats. $25,000
Aim High To provide underserved middle school-aged youth with hands-on experiences that foster environmental awareness and stewardship ethics. $5,000
Aim High To support Aim High Headlands Environmental Home. $10,000
Aim High To support the Headlands environmental home project. $10,000
Angel Island Immigration Station Foundation To introduce underserved youth to state parks through culturally relevant and enriching programs. $20,000
Angel Island Immigration Station Foundation To support Poetry in Motion. $20,000
Audubon Society To strengthen and expand environmental understanding and use of Richardson Bay by underserved students. $20,000
Audubon Society To support education programming. $25,000
Audubon Society To support Richardson Bay Audubon Center education programming. $30,000
Bay Area Open Space Council To support Nature Within Reach. $30,000
Conservation Corps North Bay To engage underserved teenagers from Marin City, the Canal, and Novato in summer outdoor recreation and hands-on environmental projects. $35,000
Conservation Corps North Bay To organize mentoring and natural resource projects on Marin open space lands for underserved residents. $80,000
Conservation Corps North Bay To organize mentoring and natural resource projects on Marin open space lands for underserved residents. $20,000
Conservation Corps North Bay To support Project ReGeneration. $35,000
Conservation Corps North Bay To support Project ReGeneration. $35,000
Environmental Traveling Companions To support ETC Marin Access. $20,000
Grassroots Leadership Network of Marin To support Marin City Green Access. $15,000
Green Sangha To support the Teen Environmental Leadership Academy. $10,000
Marin County Office of Education To provide Camp Soulajule scholarships. $13,000
Marin County Office of Education To provide Camp Soulajule scholarships. $10,000
Marin Organic To provide access to Marin's open spaces and farmlands for underserved youth. $20,000
Marin Organic To support organic farm programs. $20,000
Marin Organic To support the Farm Days Education and outreach program. $25,000
NatureBridge To provide scholarships for underserved students to participate in the Teen Environmental Action Mentorship and Field Science Education programs. $30,000
NatureBridge To support participation in two culturally relevant environmental education programs. $25,000
NatureBridge To support Teen Environmental Education Mentorship (TEEM) program. $20,000
Next Generation To support the Youth In Nature Initiative. $20,000
Next Generation To support YIN. $20,000
Next Generation To support youth programs that provide outdoor environmental education for low-income students and students of color in Marin. $45,000
Point Reyes National Seashore Association To support programs for youth. $20,000
PRBO Conservation Science To support outdoor programs for underserved youth in the Canal that promote environmental literacy and science-based education. $25,000
PRBO Conservation Science To support science and ecology education. $20,000
PRBO Conservation Science To support the Bird Education and Awareness in Communities program. $20,000
Regents of the University of California To facilitate the development of community-supported gardens throughout Marin. $40,000
Regents of the University of California To support the Marin Gardens Project. $25,000
Spaulding Wooden Boat Center To support the Open Sails project. $20,000
Spaulding Wooden Boat Center To support the Youth Boatbuilding & Sailing Program. $20,000
The Trust for Public Land To develop a plan to transform a derelict playground in the Canal neighborhood into a community park. $25,000
The Trust for Public Land To support the Canal Community Garden. $25,000
Trips for Kids Marin To support bike rides for youth. $5,000
Trips for Kids Marin To support green space recreational programming. $5,000
West Marin Commons To plan the development of public open space in West Marin for all residents to use and enjoy. $25,000
West Marin Commons To support Building Community through Open Space. $20,000
West Marin Commons To support common spaces. $20,000
WildCare To support Children and Families in Nature. $35,000
WildCare To support nature programs. $30,000
WildCare To support the pilot year of the Families in Nature Initiative. $40,000
Women Helping All People To support the environmental leadership summer day camp. $25,000
Total Access to Parks, Green Space Grants: $1,158,000.00