• 29 grants support conservation, environmental resilience and local park projects across the state as part of Earth Day and America250 efforts

CHARLOTTE, N.C. , April 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- This Earth Day, the Duke Energy Foundation is investing $618,417 to help communities across North Carolina protect natural resources, restore habitats and expand access to safe, welcoming outdoor spaces. The investment includes:

• Twenty-five grants awarded statewide, supporting nonprofits working on the front lines of conservation, environmental resilience and community‑led outdoor projects.
• Four grants awarded through the first round of the Foundation's America250 initiative, which supports community projects that honor local history and expand access to shared spaces as the nation approaches its 250th anniversary.

Duke Energy employees are also volunteering across the state, offering hands-on service to support their communities.  

What they're saying:

• Kendal Bowman, Duke Energy's North Carolina president: "Earth Day is a reminder that caring for North Carolina means caring for the land, water and shared spaces that bring our communities together. Through these grants, we're supporting local organizations that know their communities best – whether they're restoring natural habitats, protecting clean water or improving parks and trails that families use every day."
   
• Dr. Mo Drinkard, Executive Director, CEO of Catawba Riverkeeper Foundation Inc.: "The Catawba River is the lifeblood of our region, and the Floating Classroom brings that reality into focus in a powerful and lasting way. Through hands-on, science-based experiences on the water, we are helping students and community members build a direct connection to the river and a deeper understanding of how to protect it. We are incredibly grateful to Duke Energy Foundation for their support in making this work possible and for their commitment to the long-term health of the Catawba-Wateree watershed."
   
• Michelle Leonard, Executive Director, North Carolina Friends of State Parks: "We are thrilled to be receiving funding from the Duke Energy Foundation's America250 grant program. Friends of State Parks works to support and enhance North Carolina's35 State Parks, 25 State Natural Areas, and 4 State Recreation Areas. This grant will allow us to purchase much-needed tools, safety equipment and materials to support volunteers in parks across North Carolina. Thanks to the generosity of the Foundation, North Carolina's State Parks will be better equipped to maintain free and accessible trails, bike paths and beaches in our naturally wonderful state parks."

Strengthening environmental resilience:
Supporting conservation, habitat restoration, clean water and expanded access to nature across North Carolina.

• Anson County Homes of Hope (Anson County): Anson County Homes of Hope Park & Outdoor Classroom
• Boys & Girls Club of the Sandhills Inc. (Moore County): Literacy & Collaboration Garden
• Carteret Community College Foundation Inc. (Carteret County): Coastal Campus Native Restoration
• Catawba Riverkeeper Foundation Inc. (Mecklenburg County): Catawba River Floating Classroom Environmental Education Program
• Core Sound Waterfowl Museum (Carteret County): Down East Resilience Network – Documenting Our Changing Landscape, Understanding Our Challenges, Recognizing Our Opportunities
• Durham Community Land Trustees Inc. (Durham County): Healing Hayti Branch Creek Restoration
• Elkin Valley Trails Association Inc. (Wilkes County): Elkin Creek Headwaters Preserve
• Friends of Panthertown (Jackson County): Panthertown Valley Stewardship and Resiliency
• Foundation of the Caldwell Community College and Technical: (Caldwell County): Gunpowder Creek/Hudson Greenway Improvements
• Great Raleigh Cleanup (Wake County): Workforce for Change – Dignified Employment & Environmental Impact
• Keep North Carolina Beautiful (Statewide): North Carolina Beautiful's Greatest American Cleanup – Phase II
• New Leaf Society (Alamance County): Woody Ornamentals Garden at the Burlington Arboretum
• North Carolina Coastal Federation Inc. (Statewide): Coastal Restoration, Clean-ups & Youth Education
• North Carolina Wildlife Federation (Statewide): Scaling Up Community-Powered Wildlife Habitat Restoration in North Carolina to Enhance Biodiversity and Connect More People to Nature
• Partners for Environmental Justice (Wake County): Walnut Creek Watershed Learning Network
• Person County Friends of the Parks Inc. (Person County): Rotary Club of Roxboro Centennial Park – Multi‑Use Trail Construction
• Preservation Warrenton Inc. (Warren County): Macon & Main Historic Park – A Community Space for Sharing Warrenton's Story
• Raleigh City Farm (Wake County): Increasing Community Access to Food Through Regenerative Farming
• RiverLink Inc. (Buncombe County): Take Me to the River – Ecosystem Restoration in a New Public Park for a More Resilient Swannanoa
• Rutherford Outdoor Coalition Inc. (Rutherford County): Broad River Emergency Preparedness, Stewardship and Education
• Shades of Adventure (Durham County): Powering Belonging Outdoors – Solar STEM & Energy Education for Durham Youth
• Three Rivers Land Trust (Rowan County): Tuckertown Game Lands Conservation and Community Resilience Project
• Trees for the Triangle (Wake County): Strengthening Native Canopy
• Western Piedmont Foundation Inc. (Burke County): Trail Restoration Plan for Heavy Equipment Operator Location
• YMCA of Wilmington Inc. (Pender County): YMCA Camp Kirkwood Scholarships

Caring for North Carolina:
Investing in local parks, trails and shared outdoor spaces that connect communities to their history and to one another.

• Asheville GreenWorks (Buncombe County): Reforesting Storm-Impacted Mountain Forests in Woodfin Following Hurricane Helene
• Blue Ridge Bartram Trail Conservancy (Franklin County): Community Trail Construction, Arts and Heritage Programming, and Greenway Maintenance Across the Southern Appalachians
• Friends of State Parks (Statewide – North Carolina): Creating a Shared Materials Cache to Expand Volunteer Engagement Across North Carolina State Parks
• Piedmont Conservation Council (Rockingham County): Restoration and Enhancement of Jacobs Creek Batteau Landing-Dan River Access in Madison, N.C.

Duke Energy Foundation 
Duke Energy Foundation provides nearly $30 million annually in philanthropic support to meet the needs of communities where Duke Energy customers live and work. The Foundation is funded by Duke Energy shareholders.  

Duke Energy 
Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK), a Fortune 150 company headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., is one of America's largest energy holding companies. The company's electric utilities serve 8.7 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky, and collectively own 55,700 megawatts of energy capacity. Its natural gas utilities serve 1.6 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Ohio and Kentucky.

Duke Energy is executing an energy modernization strategy, keeping customer value at the forefront as it invests in electric grid upgrades and efficient generation resources to strengthen the system and serve growing energy needs.

More information is available at duke-energy.com. Follow Duke Energy on X, LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok and Facebook for stories about the people and innovations powering its communities.

Contact: Madison McDonald
24-Hour: 800.559.3853

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SOURCE Duke Energy