HCTF approved 33 CEAF grant requests in its February 2013 application call, providing over $46,000 in funding to British Columbian K-12 classes and schools. The Conservation Education Assistance Fund (CEAF) is HCTF’s newest granting program, developed to assist BC educators in getting their students outdoors and learning in and about the environment.

CEAF grants cover transportation, field leader and project material costs to facilitate hands-on learning about nature. Field studies and projects funded include creating school yard wildlife habitats, exploring local watersheds and wetlands, inventorying forest and marine ecosystems, and conducting marine and freshwater surveys.

Since the very first grants were awarded in 2012, the CEAF program has supported nearly 5,000 students in experiential learning outdoors.