About the Program
Dr. Mary Leolin Bowerman co-founded Save Mount Diablo in 1971. Mary was a botanist and a student of the flora of Mount Diablo for over 70 years. In her honor, Save Mount Diablo established the Mary Bowerman Science and Research program in 2013.
The Mary Bowerman Science and Research (MBSR) program provides small grants, especially to students, for research projects on Save Mount Diablo properties and the network of protected lands in the Mount Diablo region.
Grants of up to $2,500 will be awarded to applicants who are conducting studies that will enhance the ecological understanding of the region and inform land management and conservation practices.
How to Apply for a Grant for Your Project
Application Process
To apply for a grant, your project should
- Be affiliated with an academic, nonprofit, or professional scientific entity.
- Be within the Mount Diablo wilderness and watersheds.
- Include any permits, maps, or other pertinent attachments.
- Include a projected budget.
Read and carefully fill out the application.
Deadline for applications is December 1st, 2024.
Submit the completed application as a single Adobe PDF by email, to
Sean Burke, Land Programs Director at sburke@savemountdiablo.org.
You will receive a confirmation of your application from us within one or two business days.
About Save Mount Diablo’s Annual Mary Bowerman Science and Research Colloquium
Please join us for this year’s colloquium on Friday, December 6, 2024 from 8:30 AM to noon!
Sign up for the colloquium at the David Brower Center in Berkeley (also includes a light lunch from 12 to 12:30 PM).
In addition to supporting research on and around the mountain by offering small grant awards, the goal of the Mary Bowerman Science and Research program is to share valuable findings and management implications for natural resources in the Diablo Range with the public.
To this end, every December Save Mount Diablo hosts a Mary Bowerman Science and Research colloquium, in which grant recipients and other researchers working on Mount Diablo and in the Diablo Range present their findings.
This event informs other scientists, researchers, and interested public attendees about ongoing projects and discoveries in the Diablo Range.
It’s our hope that the stories and findings emanating from the Mary Bowerman Science and Research grant program will reach new audiences, spark interest in the community, and inspire more visitors and researchers to Mount Diablo and the Diablo Range.
View presentations from the 2023 colloquium:
View a recording of the 2022 colloquium:
You can find answers to the 2022 live audience’s questions here.
