Media Release

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For immediate release
October 2, 2006

Banff Centre awards $15,000 in Mountain Grants to support mountain stories

Mountain Culture at The Banff Centre will divide $15,000 Cdn in grants among eight adventurers, filmmakers, writers, artists, and photographers from around the world as part of the 2006 Banff Mountain Grants Program. Awarded to projects that communicate mountain stories to wide audiences, this year the grants will support, among others, a book about challenges facing the Patagonian heartland, a photography/video presentation about an expedition into Uzbekistan, and a television documentary about the effects of climate change on aboriginal communities in both the Yukon and Bolivia.

“We’re delighted to work with our sponsors to support this range of creative ideas and projects, says Leslie Taylor, associate director of Mountain Culture at The Banff Centre. “We look forward to helping these important mountain stories reach their audiences.” The 2006 selection committee reviewed 38 grant applications for projects in 18 different countries.

2006 Grant recipients:
Sam Singh, Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada, for Climate Change: North and South, a television documentary comparing the effects of climate change on two aboriginal communities in the Yukon and Bolivia — $5,000.

Jeremy Schmidt, Wilson, Wyoming, USA, for Geotourism Guide to Mongolia, a book, brochure, and website featuring Mongolia’s natural, cultural, archaeological, and historic sites — $3,000

Mike Libecki, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA, for Year of the Dog Expeditions: Unbelievable Uzbekistan, a photography/video presentation will be produced from this expedition

— $2,500

Chris Alstrin, Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA, for Higher Ground, a mountain culture film documenting the four seasons of climbing, exploration, passion, and lifestyle

— $1,000

Carolyn McCarthy, Puerto Montt, Chile, for Encounters in the Patagonian Heartland, a book of non-fiction essays about Patagonia’s fading frontier

— $1,000

The Mountain Institute Andean Program, Huaraz, Peru, for Sharing the Learning: Mountain Community-Based Tourism in Huascaran Biosphere Reserve, a booklet summarizing the experience of eight indigenous communities in designing and managing their ecotourism projects

— $1,000

Patrick McCloskey, Canmore, Alberta, Canada, for A Mountain Muse: Artists in the Canadian Rockies, a one-hour high-definition film showcasing several of Canada’s pre-eminent artists’ connections to the Canadian Rockies

— $1,000

Friends of Banff National Park, Banff, Alberta, Canada, for the Centennial Summit Series, radio programming that celebrates the Alpine Club of Canada Centennial

— $500

Mountain Culture grants are awarded annually to projects that creatively communicate the environment, human heritage, inspiration, and adventure of the world’s mountain places. The Banff Mountain Grants program is generously sponsored by Mountain Hardwear. Rules and application forms for 2007 grants will be available at the end of January, 2007 on the Banff Centre’s website. For more information visit: http://www.banffcentre.ca/mountainculture/grants or call 403-762-6369.