The Kishwaukee River Ecosystem Partnership is holding a grant-writing workshop at 6 p.m. Feb. 12. in the Baltic Mill Annex, 920 W. Lincoln Ave, Belvidere.

The state has made about $3.3 million available to partnerships similar to the Kishwaukee partnership, said Nathan Hill, watershed coordinator at the partnership.

The group organizes conservation efforts in the Kishwaukee River and establishes collective goals for the watershed, Hill said.

By working at a localized level while considering the needs of the river as a whole, individuals are able to have a greater impact on the health of the river, Hill said.

The grants are not limited to physical manipulation of the landscape, but also may be given to researchers working on projects related to the Kishwaukee River, said Nancy Williamson, ecosystem administrator for the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.

The department provides the funding to state-level partnerships for distribution among the approved projects.

The partnership has been working over the past two years to develop a database of geographic information for the watershed, funded by a grant from Grand Victoria Casino.

Landowners, municipalities, businesses and environmental organizations are encouraged to attend the workshop and consider becoming active in the partnership, Hill said.

“Within this group, we have the resources to find those grants,” Hill said.

The workshop will help interested people secure Conservation 2000 grants for projects within the Kishwaukee River watershed.

Grants generally are given to people and organizations that work to protect unusual and significant species in the area, Hill said.

The deadline to apply online is Feb. 27.