First Nikwax Bellwether Grants Announced

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Ann Piersall, of Whitefish, Mont., and Tracie A. Seimon, of Nyack, N.Y., have been selected to receive the first Nikwax Bellwether Grants, established in partnership with the American Alpine Club (AAC). The new grant program provides a total of $3,000 annually to adventurers documenting the effects of climate change on high alpine environments.

Piersall will use the grant money to supplement her study of the socio-economic impacts of glacial retreat in the Tien Shan region of China. Her project will provide empirical assessments linking the physical effects of climate change to local communities.

Seimon, a biologist, plans to study global warming's impact on the migratory patterns of amphibians in the tropical, high-altitude region of southern Peru. The Nikwax Bellwether Grant money will help fund this crucial biological component of an existing climate- and glacier-monitoring expedition to southern Peru.

"Our mission with the Bellwether Grant is to encourage disciplined, scientific efforts to document the impacts of global warming on alpine environments," said Chas Fisher, president of Nikwax N.A. and global brand manager of Nikwax Ltd. "While all of the proposals we received were extraordinarily well done, Ann and Tracie's applications rose to the top. Their research will be impactful in their individual fields, while contributing immensely to our comprehensive database for the AAC."   

Piersall and Seimon's adventures and research findings will be reported at this website and at the AAC Library blog, High Places.

The application deadline for the annual Nikwax Bellwether Grant is March 1. Click here to learn more or download an application.