Madison Boulder receives grant from the National Park Foundation to support interactive projects
Published Date
MADISON — The National Park Foundation, the official charity of America's national parks, has awarded the Madison Boulder Geological Wayside Park a 2012 Impact Grant to support the launch of the Park's Facility, Access & Interpretation Improvement Project, a project that will refurbish the Park and make it more attractive as a visitor destination. The grant is part of the National Park Foundation's Impact Grant program which gives parks and other significant areas the critical financial support needed to transform innovative, yet underfunded ideas into successful on-site programs and initiatives.
"This important grant will permit us to complete renovations to the park that will improve and better interpret the remarkable experience its hundreds of visitors and school groups have each year," said Brian Fowler, chair of the Town of Madison's Madison Boulder Advisory Commission. "These improvements will enhance the experience of visiting the site and will help visitors better understand how unique the boulder is as the largest glacial erratic in North America."
The project is funded entirely by private donations plus this Grant and will be completed in cooperation with the Geological Society of New Hampshire and the NH Division of Parks & Recreation. "The Madison Boulder is a fascinating and unique feature of the New Hampshire landscape, and receiving this grant will help us make much needed improvements," said Phil Bryce the division's director. The improvements include refurbishment of the park's access road and its walking and handicapped access trails, improvement of the site's security, and installation of geologic and natural history signage and kiosks to help its many visitors enjoy the National Natural Landmark.
"With these strategic grants, we have been able to positively impact hundreds of significant areas across the country," said Neil Mulholland, President and CEO of the National Park Foundation. "This unique
program helps the parks and other significant areas enhance the visitor experience, engaging more people, and ultimately building a stronger community of park enthusiasts who share an appreciation
and commitment to protecting sites illustrative of America's natural and cultural heritage."
The National Park Foundation, in partnership with ARAMARK through the Yawkey Foundation, The Fernandez Pave the Way Foundation and The History Channel, awarded impact grants to 62
national parks and other significant sites across the country totaling more than $500,000. A full list of grantees is available on the National Park Foundation website.
Administered by the National Park Service, the National Natural Landmarks Program (www.nature.nps.gov/nnl) was established in 1962. It is the only natural areas program of national scope to encourage the preservation of the best remaining examples of the nation's biological and geological features in both public and private ownership. The National Park Service works with landmark owners to support their voluntary conservation efforts.
