Waterman Fund News

Meet Shane Behler and Anderson Smith— Award Recipients of the 2025 Waterman Fund Essay Contest The Waterman Fund is proud to announce the winners of our sixteenth essay contest. We welcomed nearly 70 essays of which thirteen made the final round. The committee is composed of current and former board…

Allow me to take a moment to introduce myself: as of 2025, I have begun to serve the Fund as board president. I am truly humbled by this opportunity, and would probably admit to being a bit more nervous at the important work ahead, though our organization has a tight group of wonderful individuals who care deeply about our mission. I turn to them for support as we continue to foster the spirit of wildness in the high mountains and beyond.

2025 Waterman Fund Essay Contest for Emerging Writers: The submission window has been extended until March 10, 2025. Since 2008, Appalachia, the mountaineering and conservation journal published by the Appalachian Mountain Club, and the Waterman Fund have joined to sponsor an annual essay contest for emerging writers. Writers who have…

Back in October of 2024, over 100 stewards, scientists, educators, writers, poets, and adventurers gathered in the heart of the White Mountains for the 13th Northeastern Alpine Stewardship Gathering. Hosted by the Appalachian Mountain Club, this biannual event celebrated some of our region’s most wild and remote ecosystems, featuring a…