Poster Abstract: Earthwatch Institute (EWI), an international non-profit organization founded in 1971, supports scientific field research worldwide by recruiting international volunteers via offices in the U.S., UK, Japan, and Australia. EWI promotes sustainable conservation of our natural resources and cultural heritage by creating partnerships between scientists, educators, and the general public. EWI has, and continues to, support the research of scientists working in, and addressing issues concerned with mountain areas and environments around the world.

"Promoting Public-Science Partnerships in Mountain Areas" will explore the benefits of participatory field research by examining three projects funded by EWI: "Tanzanian Forest Birds," researcher-William D. Newmark, Ph. D, "Blue Ridge Bears", researcher-Roger Powell, Ph. D, and "Glaciers of the North Cascades," researcher-Jon Riedel. "Glaciers of the North Cascades" will explore conservation issues in more depth, as it is part of program to build a concentration of research projects around a particular issue in partnership with a local organization. This program, known as the North American Conservation Research Center is based in the Skagit Watershed of western Washington State, US. Finally, the poster will explore the Yellowstone to Yukon Initiative at Earthwatch. In collaboration with the Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative Society (Y2Y), this initiative seeks to expand support of local and foreign scientists conducting field-based research in the Yellowstone to Yukon ecoregion. Information packets will be available at the poster for those researchers interested in funding opportunities from EWI.