Grants Boost Erie Canal Education, Preservation, and Tourism

In front, from left:

Beth Sciumeca, Erie Canalway Executive Director, Robert McDonnell, Erie Canalway Heritage Fund Board Member, Donna Fernandes, Buffalo Zoo President/CEO, Melissa Brown, Buffalo and Erie County Historical Society
In rear, from left: Tom Blanchard, Erie Canalway Heritage Fund Board Chair, Congressman Brian Higgins, Clint Brown, Erie Canalway Commissioner

The Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor Commission, in partnership with the Erie Canalway Heritage Fund, awarded $43,700 in grants to assist organizations with canal-related education, preservation, and tourism projects.

Seven organizations from Albany to Buffalo received funding, including one in Western New York: The Buffalo Zoo (Buffalo), Albany Institute of History and Art (Albany), Chittenango Landing Canal Boat Museum (Chittenango), Erie Canal Museum (Syracuse), New York Folklore Society (Schenectady), Schenectady Museum & Suits–Bueche Planetarium (Schenectady), and The Public Broadcasting Council of Central New York/WCNY (Syracuse).

“Distributing grants is critical to helping organizations develop new programs or advance their missions, especially in tight economic times,” said Judy Schmidt Dean, Commission Chair. “We are thrilled to be able to fund these worthy projects in 2012.”

“We are extremely proud to be named one of the recipients of these grants,” said Dr. Donna M. Fernandes, Buffalo Zoo President/CEO. “Our goal with the Delta Sonic Heritage Farm is to depict life on a small family farm located along the Erie Canal in the 1850s. Support from the Erie Canalway Heritage Fund, and our partnership with the Buffalo and Erie County Historical Society, will allow us to develop programming that combines environmental education with Canal history to engage thousands of school children each year.”

The Buffalo Zoo, in partnership with the Buffalo and Erie County Historical Society, received $5,500 to develop a new education program to focus on the interconnectedness of people, the local environment, and the Erie Canal, both past and present. The program will challenge students to consider how the Erie Canal affected (and continues to affect) not only people and society, but also domestic animals, wildlife, and natural habitats in New York State.

“With the help of these federal funds Western New York’s rich Erie Canal history comes to life in a fun, interpretive way for families,” said Congressman Brian Higgins. “I commend the Historical Society, the Zoo and the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor Commission for creating this partnership that will educate future generations of the Erie Canal’s critical role in the great rise of our region.”

“What a unique learning experience students will have through this program,” said Tom Blanchard, Chair of the Erie Canalway Heritage Fund. “Providing this type of hands-on learning for youth will help bring to life the rich Erie Canal history that is all around us in Buffalo.”

SEE BELOW FOR FULL 2012 GRANT PROGRAM AWARD DESCRIPTIONS; PHOTO AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST


The Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor spans 524 miles across the full expanse of upstate New York, encompassing the Erie, Cayuga-Seneca, Oswego, and Champlain canals and their historic alignments, as well as more than 230 canal communities. Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor Commission, in partnership with the National Park Service, collaborates with government agencies, communities and organizations to protect and promote the canal corridor for all to use and enjoy. The Erie Canalway Heritage Fund is dedicated to charitable, educational, and civic purposes within the confines of the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor.

www.eriecanalway.org

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2012 Grant Program Awards

The Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor awarded $43,700 in grants in 2012 to assist organizations with canal-related planning, preservation and education projects.

Albany Institute of History and Art
Project Name: Erie Canal Lesson Plan
Description: The Institute will develop a lesson plan that uses art and artifacts from the Institute’s collection to help students explore the history and use of the Erie Canal. The program will be offered via video conferencing and hosted on the Institute’s website.
Amount: $5,500
Type: Education
Location: City of Albany
County: Albany
Canal: Erie Canal

The Buffalo Zoo
Project Name: Erie Canalway Connections
Description: The Buffalo Zoo, in partnership with the Buffalo and Erie County Historical Society, will develop a new education program to focus on the interconnectedness of people, the local environment, and the Erie Canal, both past and present. The program will challenge students to consider how the Erie Canal affected (and continues to affect) not only people and society, but also domestic animals, wildlife, and natural habitats in New York State.
Amount: $5,500
Type: Education
Location: City of Buffalo
County: Erie
Canal: Erie Canal

Chittenango Landing Canal Boat Museum
Project Name: Cultural Landscape Report
Description: The report will provide recommendations and strategies for enhancing Chittenango’s dry-docks and historic character within the context of the museum’s long-term plans. In particular, the report will document critically needed repairs and improvement projects, including the rehabilitation of the existing dry dock, its gates, and visitor walkway.
Amount: $7,000
Type: Preservation of Historic and Cultural Resources
Location: Village of Chittenango
County: Madison
Canal: Erie Canal

Erie Canal Museum
Project Name: The Locks of the Erie Canal (Exhibit)
Description: This project will fund the preparation and exhibition of 57 original pen and ink drawings of Erie Canal locks and other canal structures by Syracuse artist Ray Sax. Work will include matting, framing, proper storage, and temporary exhibition for the exhibit.
Amount: $6,156
Type: Interpretation and Orientation
Location: City of Syracuse
County: Onondaga
Canal: Erie Canal

New York Folklore Society
Project Name: Music of the Erie Canal Symposium
Description: The New York Folklore Society, in partnership with the Erie Canal Museum, will present a two-day symposium exploring the connections between the Erie Canal and traditional music in New York State. The symposium will involve panel discussions, musical performances, and the development of a post-symposium interactive website.
Amount: $7,000
Type: Interpretation and Orientation
Location: City of Schenectady
County: Schenectady County
Canal: Erie Canal

Schenectady Museum & Suits–Bueche Planetarium
Project Name: Erie Canalway Audio Tour
Description: The museum will develop a mobile audio tour exploring the history and impact of the Erie Canal in downtown Schenectady. The tour will highlight the technological development that enabled the canal’s construction, the canal’s impact on the lives of the people who lived near it, and how the canal brought growth and new businesses to Upstate New York.
Amount: $6,030
Type: Interpretation and Orientation
Location: City of Schenectady
County: Schenectady Counties
Canal: Erie Canal

The Public Broadcasting Council of Central New York (WCNY)
Project Name: The Erie Canal: 21^st Century Minutes
Description: WCNY will produce six interstitials focused on people who tell the story of the canal as it is today. WCNY plans to air the interstitials on television and radio, upload them to its website, and make them available to affiliates from across New York State.
Amount: $6,531
Type: Interpretation and Orientation
Location: Various Locations
County: Onondaga (Council Location)
Canal: Erie Canal