The Adirondack Mountain Club (ADK) has announced that Education Director Julia Goren received the 2016 Guy Waterman Alpine Steward Award. This award is given annually to a person or organization who has demonstrated a long term commitment to protecting the physical and spiritual qualities of the mountain wilderness of the Northeast United States. Julia was recognized for her work protecting the alpine ecosystem and for mentoring the next generation of alpine stewards.

Julia joined ADK in 2004 as an Education intern and became botanist for the Summit Steward program in 2006. In 2008 she became the program’s first full-time Coordinator, and in 2014 she was promoted to Education Director. Julia works with ADK’s school programs, workshops, interpretive programs, Leave No Trace education, and oversees the High Peaks Summit Stewardship Program.

The High Peaks Summit Stewardship Program is a collaborative effort in partnership with the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation and the Adirondack Chapter of the Nature Conservancy. Funders include the Adirondack 46ers, ADKHighpeaks Foundation, the Waterman Fund, and gear sponsors such as Outdoor Research, Vasque Boots and Darn Tough socks. Julia supervises five paid stewards and 20 volunteers.

The Summit Stewards under Julia’s guidance have educated, completing trail work, conducted research, and in 2016 interacted with a record 36,355 hikers according to a press announcement sent by ADK.

Photo of Julia Goren provided.