Forecastle Foundation’s Total Donations Top $550,000 in 2018
Nonprofit environmental activism arm of The Forecastle Festival working to protect and connect the world’s natural awesome
Louisville, Ky. (February 18, 2019) — The Forecastle Foundation, the nonprofit environmental activism arm of the Forecastle Festival, completed a record-breaking year of giving in 2018. Its contributions to philanthropic partners totaled $145,960 in 2018, helping the Foundation break half a million dollars in overall giving since its inception in 2010.
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“The continued growth and upward trajectory of the Forecastle Foundation is testament to a growing base of sustainability-focused companies and individuals committed to making our planet a healthier place to live.” said JK McKnight, founder of The Forecastle Foundation.
The Forecastle Foundation’s mission is to protect and connect the world’s natural awesome – the most critical, highly-threatened biodiversity hotspots left on the planet. The Foundation achieves this goal by partnering with like-minded organizations at home and abroad, to raise awareness, funds, volunteers and supporters. The Foundation is active across three continents and five countries, and has helped protect and preserve more than 50,000 acres of land and over 300 miles of waterway since inception, with a goal to reach every hotspot region and continent in the years to come.
2018 partners included:
Kentucky Natural Lands Trust (Eastern Kentucky)
Kentucky Natural Lands Trust (KNLT) works to connect existing protected areas along the Pine Mountain Wildlands Corridor, a 180,000-acre ridgeline that stretches 125-miles from Tennessee through eastern Kentucky and into Virginia. This area is an important refuge for nearly 100 rare plant and animal species, and a migratory route through a region heavily impacted by coal mining, oil and gas development, and logging. Creating more contiguous protected habitat is essential to safeguarding and sustaining functioning ecosystems and ensuring the health and resilience of local, regional and global communities. The Forecastle Foundation’s contributions have helped KNLT purchase and preserve more than 6,000 acres of the Pine Mountain Wildlands Corridor, establishing six new preserves and expanding two existing preserves.
Guayaki Foundation (Argentina, Brazil)
Now in its fifth year, the Guayaki Foundation helps to empower local, indigenous communities to regenerate and protect the Atlantic Forest through research, educational programs and promotion of the agro-ecological systems in the Atlantic Forest. Contributions from The Forecastle Foundation have helped to fund their environmental education programs, a 290-acre land preserve, and the building of an international research center. The environmental education program invites indigenous school children to plant native hardwood trees and learn the principles of agro-ecology, where humans can produce crops that restore and protect endemic ecosystems. Each year, every student plants five native trees and harvests crops such as manioc, bananas and beans. With the support of The Forecastle Foundation, more than 1,250 students have participated in the environmental education program, planting more than 6,250 trees in the 290-acre land preserve.
The Nature Conservancy (Indonesia, Kentucky)
With more coral and reef fish species than anywhere else on Earth, the six island nations of the Coral Triangle form the world’s epicenter of marine diversity. The Coral Triangle provides key migration routes for whales and dolphins and nesting beaches for six of the world’s seven sea turtle species.
The Green River is the crown jewel of Kentucky’s river system. A globally significant watershed for biodiversity, it supports more than 70 species of freshwater mussels and more than 150 species of fish – including 43 species found nowhere else in the world. Contributions from The Forecastle Foundation have helped protect more than 20 miles of river frontage and an additional 30 miles of tributary frontage along the Green River located in Kentucky, and have supported plans to restore nearly 200 miles of the Green River to its natural state by eliminating locks and dams.
Friends for Conservation and Development (Belize)
Belize’s Chiquibul Cave System (CCS) is the longest and largest known network of caves in Central America. Nearly 35 miles of passages have been mapped and surveyed, including the largest known passage and cave room in the Western Hemisphere. The CCS is located within the Chiquibul National Park, whose dimension consists of over 265,937 acres in the Cayo District forming a vital part of the Chiquibul-Maya Mountains Key Biodiversity Area. It is a vast broadleaf forest, not only with populations of many endangered species, but also numerous Geological and Archaeological features such as ancient Maya Sites, Caves and Sinkholes. The CCS, due to its extent and integrity represents one of those unique and prestigious cultural features of the Chiquibul forest worthy of national and global importance. The support provided by Forecastle Foundation enables for the monitoring and protection of the nearly 35-mile stretch of underground passages as well as the adjacent forest.
Future Fund Land Trust (Kentucky)
The Future Fund Land Trust was established in 1993, with the goal of providing a 10,000-acre conservation overlay to protect the Floyds Fork watershed in Louisville, Ky. from encroachment. Floyds Fork is one of the last remaining natural streams in Jefferson County. The Future Fund Land Trust owns more than 4000 acres of land along the Floyds Fork. In partnership with Metro Louisville, The Parklands of Floyds Fork and 21st Century Parks assist in providing land for recreational space. The Forecastle Foundation’s contributions have helped the Future Fund Land Trust save land along the Fisherville Connector, the two-mile stretch of land along Floyds Fork that unprotected. The Future Fund Land Trust has been able to purchase, sign purchase agreements, or establish easements on three parcels, totaling 267 acres since the Foundation’s first contribution in 2017.
In addition to these partner donations, The Forecastle Foundation also donated $6,215 to Apalachicola Riverkeepers in Florida, $1,750 to the Louisville Orchestra for its participation in its Cocktails & Conservation event in 2018, as well as and $745 to Girls Rock Louisville.
The Forecastle Foundation raises funds year-round through business partnerships, events and the generosity of individual donors. The Foundation also receives $1 from every ticket sold at the annual Forecastle Festival. This year’s event will be held July 12-14, 2019 at Louisville’s Waterfront Park.
All donations are made possible by The Forecastle Foundation’s supporters, including the Forecastle Festival, Give for Good Louisville, Sierra Nevada, Liquor Barn Four Roses, Old Forester, Woodford Reserve, Heine Brothers, Whole Foods, Heaven Hill, Wild Turkey, Quest Outdoors, and more. Numerous artists have also donated memorabilia or time to the Foundation, including My Morning Jacket, Alabama Shakes, Neko Case, Danny Clinch, The Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Ray LaMontagne, Band of Horses, Houndmouth and more.