BOONTON - The Land Conservancy of New Jersey is celebrating 35 years of commitment to scholarship as a means of preserving the landscapes residents and visitors enjoyh while protecting the State's drinking water and other natural resources.
For almost as long as it has existed as a member-supported, non-profit land trust, The Land Conservancy has been providing two scholarships a year to residents of New Jersey pursuing degrees in environmental science, natural resource management, conservation, park administration, or related fields.
Their Scholarship Program appears to be unique in that it rewards environmental scholars who are not only from New Jersey but who also wish to return to New Jersey after college to pursue careers aimed at protecting the natural environment of their home state.
The Land Conservancy of New Jersey is now accepting applications for its 2019 Scholarship Program. Applications can be downloaded from The Land Conservancy of New Jersey website, www.tlc-nj.org or can be obtained by calling (973) 541-1010 x14. Potential candidates must be New Jersey residents currently enrolled in, and in good standing at, a college or university, with at least 15 credits completed and an academic average equivalent to a 3.0 or higher. The deadline to apply is April 1.
"This year we are pleased to be able to provide $7,500 to each of our two scholarship recipients," announced Rick Simon, Trustee.
The Russell M. Myers Scholarship was established in 1983 to honor Myers, founder of The Land Conservancy of New Jersey. An outstanding leader in the field of conservation, Myers was the first Director of the Morris County Park Commission. His leadership established the Morris County Park System, which remains the largest county park system in the State of New Jersey and one of the finest in the nation, according to the conservancy.
The Rogers Family Scholarship was established in 2005 by Gray and Mollie Rogers, dedicated conservationists who wanted to expand The Land Conservancy's educational support for outstanding students passionate about protecting the natural environment.
Gray Rogers is a trustee emeritus of the non-profit land trust.
The Scholarship Program has awarded $270,000 in grants to 56 outstanding college students since its inception. Past recipients have hailed from nearly 40 different New Jersey towns and have used their scholarships to obtain bachelor, master's, and doctorate degrees at an array of institutions including New Jersey's Rutgers and Stockton Universities. Their fields of study have included environmental law, policy, and planning, as well as chemistry, wildlife ecology, geography, landscape architecture and forestry management.
The Land Conservancy of New Jersey is a member-supported, non-profit, accredited land trust dedicated to preserving and protecting natural land and water resources throughout the State. Originally founded as an all-volunteer group in 1981, the organization has worked with 100 municipalities in 13 counties and continues to be recognized for meeting the highest standards for protecting open space, upholding the public trust, and ensuring that their conservation efforts are permanent.
For more information about the work of The Land Conservancy of New Jersey, visit their website www.tlc-nj.org or call (973) 541-1010.