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Conservation: Protect the Places we Climb
Conservation has long been a cornerstone of the AAC mission. We support programs that protect the places we climb for generations to come.There are three major conservation programs:
Local Action: Local communities are best positioned to identify needs and implement conservation work on the ground. The AAC supports this work with the $25,000/year Cornerstone Crag Conservation Grant plus volunteerism from our local sections and chapters.
Volunteerism: Every day AAC members are active around the world, working to improve and have a positive impact on the climbing environment. We support this work through our Climber Conservation Corps program. We track and quantify all member action under the name of the Climber Conservation Corps. Every member who submits at least 8 hours of volunteer work will receive a CCC patch.
Full details of the program coming soon!
Climber Scientists: Climbers are out and about in unique ways and have access to unique locations. The AAC offers a set of grants for individual climbers and projects to leverage their capabilities as climber scientists:
AAC Research Grants: The Research Committee of The American Alpine Club administers funds from three endowments: The Arthur K. Gilkey Memorial Research Fund, the R L Putnam Research Fund, and the Bedayn Research Fund. Through these funds, the AAC is able to support modest requests to assist scientific research projects within the scope of the AAC's charter... Read more or apply for AAC Research Grants.
Nikwax Alpine Bellwether Grant: High alpine environments are early indicators of climate change. In order to document the impacts of global warming in these fragile ecosystems, Nikwax is underwriting the Nikwax Alpine Bellwether Grant (NABG), in association with the American Alpine Club (AAC). The NABG will be awarded annually, with $3000.00 divided between two or three recipients. Grantees will visit alpine regions to observe and photograph changes in glacier recession, upward plant migration, animal sightings and other critical indicators. The photographs and findings will be provided to climate experts, who can then detail methods for mitigating current and future impacts of global warming in fragile environments... Read more or apply for the Nikwax Alpine Bellwether Grant.
Lara-Karena Bitenieks Kellogg Memorial Conservation Grant: Lara Karena Kellogg died during an attempt on the North Buttress of Mount Wake in the Alaska Range in April 2007. This conservation grant is intended to carry on the essence of her spirit and her character... Read more or apply for the Lara-Karena Bitenieks Kellogg Memorial Conservation Grant.
Scott Fischer Conservation Grant: The American Alpine Club established the Scott Fischer Memorial Conservation Fund in memory of Scott Fischer, who lost his life on Mount Everest in May 1996. The purpose of this grant is to help fund environmentally proactive expeditions to mountain regions throughout the world... Read more or apply for the Scott Fischer Memorial Conservation Grant.
Other Conservation Projects at the AAC
Alpine Conservation Partnership
Cordillera Blanca Environmental Expedition
Development of Clean Mountain Cans