Muskingum County Library Systems Grants

ZANESVILLE, Ohio – The Muskingum County Library Systems have two different grants currently in the works.

The Bird Watching Mini-Grant for the Duncan Falls Philo Branch was provided by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. Birding books were donated through the grant as well as feeders, poles, and seeds.

MCLS Branch Services Coordinator Joshua McPeek said, “Being able to pull from different grants allows us to give back a lot more to the community. It allows us to, you know there’s no such thing as free money but this essentially is free money. It allows us to do a lot more and create more interesting engaging ideas for patrons to come and see.”

This project will provide an opportunity for local schools to start integrating wildlife preservation focuses into their curriculum. The Butterfly Pollinator Garden will be at the Roseville Branch, it was provided by the Foundation for Appalachian Ohio and it will also focus on environmental education.

“With disappearing monarchs, butterflies have been a big topic of interest for scientists and understanding why their disappearing so while we haven’t quite figured that out, we have learned that we need to give them more places,” McPeek said.

Local Law Enforcement donated a birdbath for the garden and MCLS plans to start putting it all together this Spring.