Beech Creek Pond Restoration: A Journey to a Healthy Ecosystem

Focus Area: Education

2021 – This grant provides the funds necessary to restore a pond on the Beech Creek property to a healthy, natural habitat, and it supports educational opportunities for students and teachers in Stark County to learn about ecological restoration and natural habitats throughout the process.

Non-target Analysis of Ohio River Waters in Response to Major Chemical Plant Building and Operation

Focus Area: Environment

2021 – Scientists from Kent State University and Florida International University will collaborate on a scientific study to assess pollutants in the Ohio River using the novel non-target analysis method. This water “fingerprinting” of the Ohio River over time can provide citizens the information needed to understand the health of the Ohio River and how it is impacted by various land use changes.

Pew Marine & Biomedical Science Fellowship

Focus Area: Science

2021 – This grant creates the first-ever Pew Charitable Trusts program linking marine and biomedical scientists. Following the framework of Pew’s Marine Fellows and Biomedical Scholars programs, this grant will provide funding each year over three years for a competitively selected individual to conduct a pioneering project melding these two fields.

Communicating the Connectedness – Healthy Watersheds, Healthy Oceans

Focus Area: Education

Incorporating Literacy, Diversity, and Social/Emotional Learning into K-12 Science and STEM

Focus Area: Education

Automating the Detection of Harmful Algal Blooms using Google Earth Engine and Google Cloud Platform

Focus Area: Science

2021 – Building on previous research funded by the Herbert W. Hoover Foundation, researchers will automate the novel method of analyzing water quality in the Google Earth Engine and Google Cloud Platform, meaning researchers around the globe could have access to an inexpensive and consistent method of assessing water health.

Determining and Addressing the Causes of Reproductive Failure in Corals in FL and HI

Focus Area: Science

2020 – Using novel techniques developed by Dr. Robert Richmond of the University of Hawaii, scientists will assess the health of coral reefs in Florida and Hawaii with the goal of pinpointing their main stressors with specificity. Ultimately, this will allow resource managers the opportunity to enhance coral populations in their regions by stopping these pollutant stressors at their source.

Field-Scale Estimates of Soil Carbon Based on Modeling and Soil Optical Properties

Focus Area: Science

2020 – Building upon prior grants provided by the Herbert W. Hoover Foundation, this project by Ohio State University and Kent State University seeks to assess the quality of soil through imaging. This will enable farmers, scientists, and resource managers to more readily assess carbon sequestration capacity in soil as well as overall soil health at a fraction of the cost.

Rebuilding Coral Populations Through Reefs of Opportunity

Focus Area: Environment

2020 – This funding to the South Florida National Parks Trust will support Biscayne National Park’s efforts to rebuild and restore its coral reef populations, providing habitat for the multitude of species that reside there.

Continuing the Study of Neurodegenerative Disease and Algal Blooms

Focus Area: Science

2020 – Scientists at the University of Miami Brain Endowment Bank will continue to study the linkages between BMAA, a blue-green algal toxin, and neurodegenerative disease. By analyzing donor brain tissue, this study will build upon long-term funding from HWHF investigating the link between blue-green algae and brain disease.

Stark Sustainable Soil Initiative

Focus Area: Environment

2019 – HWHF is providing funding to The Ohio State University to conduct groundbreaking soil health research under the direction of world-renowned soil scientist Rattan Lal in Stark County.  On-farm studies will assess the impact of agronomic management for restoration of soil health on crop yield and nutritional quality.  Improved management practices, including conservation agriculture with and without cover crops, and with and without use of farmyard manure, will be implemented.  The project will produce globally relevant outcomes by adding new insights to the literature on assessing the carbon footprint of small landholder production systems.

North Canton Heritage Trail

Focus Area: Community

2019 – Funding was provided to the North Canton Heritage Society for the installation of seven permanent signs spread throughout the city of North Canton.  These signs showcase important historical events and contributions of local residents and organizations throughout history, including the impact of The Hoover Company and family.

Creating “Media Building-Blocks of Environmental Knowledge” (MBEK) aka the “Ocean Health Voyage”

Focus Area: Education

2014 – HWHF funds the development and creation of the online course “Ocean Health Voyage,” an innovative educational online platform that weaves a modular syllabus with adventurous documentary-style films. The educational cinematic experience features marine researchers on-site from field locations, above and underwater, as they teach fundamental ocean science and shine a light on the real-life complexities of working with stakeholders, finding solutions for balancing resource consumption, and conservation. This course is offered to members of the Hemispheric University Consortium, bringing the course from the United States to 6 other countries – Universidad Austral in Argentina, Universidad de los Andes in Colombia, Pontificia Universidad Católica Madre y Maestra in the Dominican Republic, Universidad San Francisco de Quito in Ecuador, Tecnologico de Monterrey and Universidad de las Americas Puebla in Mexico, and Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia in Peru.