MEDIA RELEASE

For immediate release
September 7, 2000 

Mountain Projects Get Boost from Banff Centre for Mountain Culture

From the ice caves of the Canadian Rockies to the mythology of the Garhwal Himalayas, the projects receiving funding through this year’s Banff Centre for Mountain Culture Grant Program cross international and cultural boundaries. The Centre annually awards grant money - a total of $18,000 this year - to projects that creatively communicate the special nature and culture of the world’s mountain places.

"This year’s projects reflect a wide range of ways to make connections between people and mountain areas around the world," says Bernadette McDonald, director of the Centre. "We’re excited by the diversity of these projects and we’re delighted that we can help support these recipients in their endeavours."

This year’s selection committee reviewed 39 grant applications from 10 countries. The 2000 grant recipients are:

• Stephen Alter, of MIT in the United States, for Sacred Waters: A Pilgrimage to the Many Sources of the River Ganga due for completion February 1, 2001. This book will explore the connection between the natural history and mythology in the Garhwal Himalayas. $2000.00

• Pamela Banting, of Calgary, Canada, for The Riggall Family : A Cultural Biography due June 2001. This biography will document the life of Rocky Mountain guide, outfitter and naturalist Bert Riggall and his extended family. $3000.00

• Heritage Productions of Jasper, Canada to tour The David Thompson Story to four communities in Alberta and British Columbia in April, 2001. This one-man play explores the many adventures and accomplishments of one of Canada’s most important historical figures and mountain explorers. $3000.00

• The Mountain Institute, Kathmandu, Nepal to publish a manual designed to train Nepalese national park staff in natural history and field identification skills and to provide a 4 day training workshop for 40 staff in June, 2001. $3000.00

• Jonathan Rollins of Calgary, Canada for Great Caves of the Canadian Rockies, to be completed March, 2001. This book will promote understanding and appreciation of caves - a little known environment beneath the Canadian Rockies. $2000.00

• University of Iowa’s Kenneth Iain Macdonald for Kar-i: A project to address the detrimental effects of Adventure Tourism in the Karakoram Mountains of Northern Pakistan. The project will be presented in a web-based format to make it accessible to those who travel in the mountains. The web site will be completed January 1, 2002. $5000.00

The Banff Centre for Mountain Culture grants are awarded annually to projects that creatively communicate the environment, human heritage, inspiration and adventure of the world’s mountain places. Applications for the year 2001 grants will be available in January. Visit the Centre’s Web site at www.banffcentre.ab.ca/cmc for more information.

Background

Contact information for grant recipients:

Stephen Alter
Phone 617-253-4069
Email Salter5833@aol.com

Pamela Banting
Not available for comment

Heritage Productions
Phone 780-852-4204
Email jaspertheatre@aol.com

The Mountain Institute
Phone 977-1-419356
Email bpeniston@mountain.org

Jonathan Rollins
Phone 403-282-6177
Email jonrollins@hotmail.com

University of Iowa’s Kenneth MacDonald
Phone 319-335-1137
Email kenneth-macdonald@uiowa.edu

The Banff Centre for Mountain Culture promotes understanding and appreciation of the world’s mountain places by creating opportunities for people to share  - and find inspiration in -mountain experiences, ideas and visions.

Media contact:
Debra Hornsby, Marketing and Communications Manager
The Banff Centre for Mountain Culture
Phone: (403) 762-9183, Fax: (403) 762-8046
E-mail: debra_hornsby@banffcentre.ab.ca

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