Dr. Alton C. Byers, Director of Research and Education at The Mountain Institute (www.mountain.org) , received the Sir Edmund Hillary Mountain Legacy Medal.
November 20, 2006 (Press Release) --
The Medal is for "remarkable service in conservation of culture and nature in remote mountainous regions."
The award is named for Sir Edmund Hillary, a New Zealander who with Tenzing Norgay Sherpa was the first person to stand on the summit of Mt. Everest (29,035’/8,850 m) in 1953. Their climb of the world’s highest mountain has been called one of the greatest adventures of all time, inspiring generations of people from all walks of life. The medal recognizes Hillary for his contributions and life-long commitment to mountain people and their environments. Sir Edmund’s personal efforts, and those of the foundations that he helped establish in New Zealand, Canada, the United States, and Germany, have resulted in the construction of some 30 schools, two airstrips, two hospitals, and 11 village clinics in the Mt. Everest region of Nepal. The Hillary Medal was initiated in 2003 by the Nepalese NGO Mountain Legacy (www.mountainlegacy.org) both to honor Sir Edmund’s work and to encourage others to emulate his example. Peter Hillary, son of Sir Edmund, played a key role in the screening of the many dozens of nominations submitted for the award from around the world, as well as in the final selection.
Byers is a mountain geographer who has worked for more than 30 years to protect mountain environments and improve the lives of mountain people in the U.S., Nepal, Tibet, India, Africa, and South America. In February, 2006 he received the David Brower Conservation Award from the American Alpine Club in recognition of his “important contributions to the protection of mountain environments and whose active personal role deserves public recognition.”
A primary purpose of the Sir Edmund Hillary Mountain Legacy Medal is to “draw attention to on-going conservation efforts that are in need of greater recognition and support.” Byers will receive the award in recognition of his pioneering work at The Mountain Institute to protect and restore the alpine ecosystems of the Mt. Everest region, and to improving the lives of the porters and lodge operators who depend on these ecosystems and tourism for their livelihoods. Through a partnership between The Mountain Institute and the American Alpine Club, he is currently working on a project to replicate the successes of the Everest alpine project in major mountains throughout the world that would include Kilimanjaro and Mt. Kenya (east Africa), Kangchendzonga (India), K2 (Pakistan), Huascarán (Peru), and Aconcagua (Chile), all of which have been heavily impacted by unregulated adventure tourism.
Byers will travel to Melbourne, Australia in March to receive the award.
The award is named for Sir Edmund Hillary, a New Zealander who with Tenzing Norgay Sherpa was the first person to stand on the summit of Mt. Everest (29,035’/8,850 m) in 1953. Their climb of the world’s highest mountain has been called one of the greatest adventures of all time, inspiring generations of people from all walks of life. The medal recognizes Hillary for his contributions and life-long commitment to mountain people and their environments. Sir Edmund’s personal efforts, and those of the foundations that he helped establish in New Zealand, Canada, the United States, and Germany, have resulted in the construction of some 30 schools, two airstrips, two hospitals, and 11 village clinics in the Mt. Everest region of Nepal. The Hillary Medal was initiated in 2003 by the Nepalese NGO Mountain Legacy (www.mountainlegacy.org) both to honor Sir Edmund’s work and to encourage others to emulate his example. Peter Hillary, son of Sir Edmund, played a key role in the screening of the many dozens of nominations submitted for the award from around the world, as well as in the final selection.
Byers is a mountain geographer who has worked for more than 30 years to protect mountain environments and improve the lives of mountain people in the U.S., Nepal, Tibet, India, Africa, and South America. In February, 2006 he received the David Brower Conservation Award from the American Alpine Club in recognition of his “important contributions to the protection of mountain environments and whose active personal role deserves public recognition.”
A primary purpose of the Sir Edmund Hillary Mountain Legacy Medal is to “draw attention to on-going conservation efforts that are in need of greater recognition and support.” Byers will receive the award in recognition of his pioneering work at The Mountain Institute to protect and restore the alpine ecosystems of the Mt. Everest region, and to improving the lives of the porters and lodge operators who depend on these ecosystems and tourism for their livelihoods. Through a partnership between The Mountain Institute and the American Alpine Club, he is currently working on a project to replicate the successes of the Everest alpine project in major mountains throughout the world that would include Kilimanjaro and Mt. Kenya (east Africa), Kangchendzonga (India), K2 (Pakistan), Huascarán (Peru), and Aconcagua (Chile), all of which have been heavily impacted by unregulated adventure tourism.
Byers will travel to Melbourne, Australia in March to receive the award.
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