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PRESS RELEASE: WATERMAN FUND ANNOUNCES 2003 GRANTS
In its second year of operation, The Waterman Fund has announced it will award grants in 2003 totaling $7,500 to three organizations: The Green Mountain Club, The Dartmouth Outing Club, and the Appalachian Mountain Club. The Green Mountain Club (GMC) will receive $2,500 from the Waterman Fund to launch a Reach and Teach alpine ecology program, which aims to teach alpine ecology to hiking groups, school groups, summer camps, and Scout troops who annually visit the alpine peaks in the Green Mountains of Vermont. The GMC will contact these groups while they are still planning their hikes to foster partnerships and cooperation that will minimize impacts on the fragile alpine areas once the hiking season begins. The Dartmouth Outing Club (DOC) will receive $2,500 to hire a summit steward to educate hikers, perform light trailwork, and help mitigate hiker impact on the summit of Mount Moosilauke during the busy summer months. The DOC steward will work with the ridgerunner program of the White Mountain National Forest to provide a new level of education and stewardship on one of New Hampshire's most-visited summits. The Waterman Fund is pleased to assist in funding the start up of this program. With the generous assistance of the Robert and Patricia Switzer Foundation of Maine, the Fund will award $2,500 to the Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC) to create an educational display for hikers visiting the Franconia Ridge in New Hampshire. The Lafayette Place trailhead for the Franconia Ridge is among the most visited in the Northeast. The AMC plans to create a display that will inform hikers about both the beauty and the fragility of the alpine ecosystem. "Knowing how much Guy loved these mountains and the personal efforts that both he and Laura invested to protect the alpine communities of Franconia Ridge, it is a pleasure to be able to support continued protection efforts in Guy's name" said Tom Wessels, Chair of the Robert and Patricia Switzer Foundation. In announcing the grants, Waterman Fund president Chuck Wooster said, "Much remains to be done, but this is a great start. The Fund is glad to be supporting the people and organizations that work so hard to protect our spectacular peaks." Grant requests for 2003 totaled $18,400 for projects with total costs of over $71,000. The Waterman Fund is a donor-supported non-profit fund that awards grants for educational and trail maintenance projects on the open summits, exposed ridges, and alpine areas of the Northeast. The Fund is part of the Upper Valley Community Foundation, based in Hanover, New Hampshire, which manages personalized charitable funds for individuals, families and organizations. To support the efforts of the Waterman Fund, or for information about applying for a grant, write to the fund at P.O. Box 1064, East Corinth, VT 05040, or visit www.watermanfund.org. FMI: Doug Mayer, dmayer@cartalk.com or (603) 466-3453 Top of Page |
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The Waterman Fund
Supporting Education & Stewardship to Preserve the Alpine Areas of the Northeast Designed and Maintained by
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