George Melendez Wright, assistant naturalist, Yosemite National Park, talking with Maria Lebrada (Totuya), one of the last surviving members of the Yosemite Indian nation, 1929.
[POSTED DECEMBER 11, 2004: The application period for the scholarship is now closed, and the submittal form has been removed. All applicants will be notified of the status of their application by January 1. Items are still be sought for the Silent Auction, so read on!]
and ...
The George Wright Society has created the George Melendez Wright Student Travel Scholarship for the upcoming George Wright Society Conference at the Loews Hotel in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, March 14–18, 2005. The Society seeks to encourage students from diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds to participate in its biennial conference and to develop an interest in the conservation and preservation of parks, protected areas, and cultural sites throughout the world. It is the Society’s hope that by offering these scholarships, students will be encouraged to pursue a profession in fields directly related to parks, protected areas, and cultural sites. Scholarship recipients will have the opportunity to participate in conference educational sessions and learning activities, as well as to network with peers and professionals from a wide variety of fields related to protected areas conservation.
Approximately 10 scholarships will be awarded to help students defray travel costs to attend the conference. Each award will consist of a reimbursement of up to $500 for travel expenses, a conference registration fee waiver, and a year’s membership in the George Wright Society. This scholarship is open to students from groups under-represented in the fields of natural and cultural resources. Graduate student status is preferred; presentation of a paper is not required.
George Melendez Wright, assistant naturalist, Yosemite National Park, talking with Maria Lebrada (Totuya), one of the last surviving members of the Yosemite Indian nation, 1929.
To apply, scroll down the page and fill out the on-line application. (Posted December 11: The form has now been removed.)
During the conference we will be holding the inaugural silent auction to benefit the travel scholarship.Walkin’ in the Footsteps of George recalls George Wright’s pioneering efforts in the 1920s and 1930s to make a career in the park resources field. Of Hispanic descent himself (his mother was Salvadoran), Wright was fluent in Spanish and respected the value of cultural diversity.
Walkin’ in the Footsteps of George will be a fun event whose entire proceeds will go to the scholarship fund. Please help this worthy cause by making a donation of one or more items to the auction. What kinds of things are we looking for?
All items should be new and unworn. We can provide you with a receipt to document the value of your charitable donation.
To make arrangements for donating your item(s), contact auction organizer Gillian Bowser at gbowser@tamu.edu or by phone at 1-979-845-9787 — she’ll be glad to help you.
[Posted December 11: The deadline for scholarship applications has passed, and the application form has been removed.]