Last year, a group of school children from the Tohono O’Odham Nation took part in a citizen-science project at Saguaro National Park aimed at investigating the decline of small carnivores in the Tucson Mountains.
The students in grades 6-12 from the Native American Advancement Foundation’s after-school program took an off-trail hike in the park and set up wildlife cameras in hopes of capturing footage of skunks, kit foxes or raccoons that have not been documented there in more than 25 years.
Their participation in Saguaro’s Lost Carnivores field trip was made possible through a grant from Western National Parks, an 88-year-old fundraising partner of the National Park Service that has been based in the Tucson area for more than 40 years.
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“By investing in research, supporting educators and helping prepare the next generation of public lands advocates and stewards, we’re helping bring the joy, wonder and transformative power of national parks to people while supporting their preservation for years to come,” said Marie Buck, the nonprofit’s president and CEO.
Western National Parks is now accepting applications for its next round of grants, scholarships and awards. The deadline to apply is Dec. 11.
Offerings include the James E. Cook Nature’s Classroom Grant, which provides up to $2,000 to connect underrepresented youth to national parks; the WNP Research Grant, which provides up to $20,000 annually for scholarly work at park sites; and the Ernest Quintana and Marty Sterkel Education Scholarship for young adults pursuing careers with the park service or similar government agencies or nonprofit heritage conservation organizations.
Nominations are also open until Dec. 11 for the group’s annual awards, two of which are named for standout conservation figures from Arizona: the Stewart L. Udall Award for park interpretation, messaging and advocacy and the Emil W. Haury Lifetime Achievement Award for lasting contributions to research at park sites.
Udall was a congressman from Arizona and secretary of the Interior under Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson. Haury was a preeminent Southwestern archaeologist and anthropologist at the University of Arizona.
Since Western National Parks was founded in 1938, it has provided more than $176 million to more than 70 park service sites in 12 Western states. Its headquarters is located off Innovation Park Drive near Rancho Vistoso Boulevard in Oro Valley, where the group also operates a large gift shop called the National Parks Store to raise funds for parks and park programs.
More information on the group and how to apply for its grants, scholarships and awards is available online at: wnpa.org/what-we-do/wnp-awards-grants-scholarships.
