Viles Arboretum is a free and easily accessible botanical garden in Augusta. The 224-acre space includes six miles of trails, dozens of plant collections and a sculpture exhibit. The Arboretum’s preserved land, interpretive materials, exhibits, programs and events, and trail system are designed for people of all ages for education, recreation, and inspiration.
The Arboretum will use the money to grow its Young Stewards Camp Program, a screen-free summer camp designed to leverage the Arboretum’s green space to offer high-quality, low-cost outdoor enrichment programming to local children. Specifically, the money will be used to create an adventure course, make kitchen renovations and develop an educational garden.
The Catalyst Grant program is aimed at sparking creativity and adding capacity within local nonprofit organizations, leading to the betterment of the programs and services offered in Kennebec Savings Bank’s service area. Grant recipients are chosen through a competitive application process by an internal selection committee comprised of employees representing different areas of the bank. Since its inception in 2016, the program has awarded more than $300,000 to more than a dozen projects.
