White Mountain
Field School
White Mountain National Forest, New Hampshire, United States
White Mountain Field School
2024
- Ecoregion: Atlantic Highlands
- Focus: high-use trails in fragile biotic communities; sustainable trail design, building and maintenance ; integrated trail management
- Projects: Franconia Ridge loop trails restoration; alpine trail management; university summer semester
- Partners: U.S. Forest Service, New Hampshire State Parks, Waterman Fund, Appalachian Trail Conservancy, Appalachian Mountain Club, Binghamton University (State University of New York)
The Partnership to Restore Franconia Ridge Loop received the Forest Service’s Region 9 Honor Award for Re-imagining Recreation by Engaging New & Diverse Audiences to Expand Social and Economic Benefits for the Public.
2024 partners and projects
Since 2018 WTN Americas/Pan Amercian Trails has fielded summit stewards on Franconia Ridge in the White Mountains National Forest, one of the most traveled recreational areas in the northeast United States. It is also home a rare and fragile biotic community, the northeast alpine zone. Summit stewards combine trail restoration and maintenance with education and information.
In 2023 WTN Americas/Pan American Trails raised $192,000 towards trail restoration on Franconia Notch State Parks sections of the Old Bridle Path and Falling Waters Trail. A generous donor has pledged $100,000 a year for four years, which will allow us to keep this project going until at least 2027. This complements Appalachian Mountain Club work on federal sections of Franconia Ridge loop trails in the White Mountain National Forest.
In partnership with Binghamton University in New York, Pan American Trail/WTN Americas offers s a 5-week, 4 credit academic field course. The curriculum includes an environmental history of northeast recreational trails, wilderness ethics, fundamentals of recreation ecology, and a practicum in alpine trail management. The course also provides certification in Wilderness First Aid and Leave no Trace and a seminar series with international speakers (by Zoom).
Opportunities
- Paid seasonal positions
- Paid interships
- Volunteering
Opportunities
- Volunteering
Opportunities
- College credit
- Paid interships
- Teaching fellowship
Donate
You can donate directly to Franconia Ridge loop restoration in Franconia Notch State Park, or Alpine Trail management (summit stewards), or you can let us direct the funds to where we need them most.