There is a growing concern about the increasing number of hikers summiting the High Peaks. Recreational Equipment Inc. (REI) and the Adirondack Mountain Club (ADK) are stepping in to educate people about protecting the High Peaks. Read the news release below:
Lake Placid, NY — July 23, 2018 – ADK (Adirondack Mountain Club) is pleased to be the recipient of a 2018 REI Foundation Stewardship Grant for the Adirondack High Peaks Summit Stewardship Program. The Summit Steward Program, a partnership of ADK, The Adirondack Chapter of the Nature Conservancy, and the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation, protects New York’s alpine habitat through education, trail work, and research.
“REI Rochester is excited to partner with the ADK Summit Stewards program. It strongly lines up with our passion to inspire, educate and outfit for a lifetime of outdoor adventure and stewardship,” says Emily Copland, manager of the Rochester REI.
“We’re thrilled to partner with REI this year. Thanks to this grant, we will share a message of summit stewardship with the REI community and with the hikers visiting the highest alpine summits,” says Kayla White, ADK summit steward coordinator.
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The Summit Steward Program is in its 29th season of protecting rare and fragile alpine plants. With increasing numbers of visitors hiking the High Peaks, the need for an educational presence on the summits continues. Since the hiking season began in May, ADK’s Summit Stewards have spoken with 22% more hikers than over the same timeframe last year. ADK’s partnership with REI provides both funding to field a crew of five educators and an opportunity to connect with the REI outdoor community.
Working together, REI and ADK hope to build greater awareness of and engagement in efforts to steward and increase access to outdoor recreation that both ADK and REI members passionately support.
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