AUBURN — The Lake Auburn Watershed Neighborhood Association was awarded $16,330 from the 2013 Maine Forest Service Project Canopy Grant.

The planning and education grant is focused on supporting sustainable community forestry management and efforts to increase awareness of the benefits of trees and forests. It will assist LAWNA to further develop the current tree nursery created to supplement the Auburn/Lewiston area street tree inventory in partnership with the L/A Community Forestry Board.

Funds will be allocated to the development of a forest management plan, a tree nursery plan, installation of a well pump and irrigation for the nursery. Other project costs include: a surveyor to locate and pin the tree nursery; a large sign kiosk with important educational materials covering a variety of issues including invasive species and proper watershed logging practices; and a public easement for long-term access to the property which is already recorded. The kiosk will also prominently feature the tagline of the Lake Auburn Community Center — “Recreation, Environment, and Community (REC).”

LAWNA, established as a 501c3 in 2007, is a public benefit corporation, organizing private and public lands on and around the shores of Lake Auburn, as well as its watershed area. LAWNA promotes the protection of the environment and natural resources, while supporting responsible recreation, development and community service. On Dec. 25, 2012, a 6-acre field and wooded parcel, centralized in Lake Auburn’s Community Forest, was donated and a 25-person volunteer/work committee representing a multitude of conservation and recreational interests was formed to manage the property.

The Lake Auburn Community Center is at 115 North Auburn Road and is open to the public daily from 8 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. It provides miles of nature trails, picnic area, beach volleyball area which also serves as an ice skating rink during winter months; horseshoe pits; and coming soon, disc golf. For more information, visit www.lakeauburn.org and www.facebook.com/2012LACC.