Every national park should have such a partner. The Shenandoah National Park Trust (SNPT), the park’s official philanthropic partner, recently supported two new science and art initiatives with grant funding.
Shenandoah National Park awarded the inaugural $15,000 SNPT Research Grant to Dr. Jessica Rykken, Associate with the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard University, for her project: “Catch the Buzz: pollinator diversity, distribution and phenology in Shenandoah National Park.”
“Pollinators are clearly at risk nationally, and we are concerned about the fate of these key species,” said Jim Northup, Shenandoah’s Superintendent.
“Shenandoah National Park is a world-class outdoor laboratory, providing tremendous opportunities to learn about the inter-connectedness of the plant and animal life of our region, and what these connections can tell us about resilience to threats like invasive species and climate change, ” said Trust president Susan Sherman.
Sandy Long and her pal, Bu.
The Trust also recently funded the first-ever Artist in Residence program at Shenandoah, which transpired from September 22 through October 3, 2014. Heron’s Eye Communications Co-Founder, Sandy Long, was selected to photograph the park’s stunning landscapes, flora and fauna.
Following her photographic journey through this magnificent park in Virginia, Sandy compiled a gallery of images captured as part of that experience. A percentage of the profit on their sales will be gifted to the Shenandoah National Park Trust.
Sandy also curates #WonderWatch, Heron’s Eye Communications’ social media photo series of wonder-awakening things we encounter in the natural world.
