Announcing the
Loren Kreck – Edwin Fields Wilderness Scholarship
The North Fork Preservation Association(NFPA) is pleased to offer the Kreck/Fields Wilderness Scholarship to a graduate student at a Montana institution of higher education. The scholarship will be awarded annually to a student who is using their education to advocate and promote wilderness protection and preservation. This advocacy and promotion can be in the areas of public policy, literature, journalism or the arts. Specific fields of study can be but are not limited to wildlife biology, ecology, environmental studies, environmental law, journalism or the expressive arts.
The value of the scholarship is $2000, awarded annually. The distribution will go directly to the educational institution for tuition, fees, the acquisition of information technology or assigned books, journals and reports.
History of Scholarship
Dr. Loren Kreck, DDS, dedicated much of his life to wilderness and natural resource conservation on the Flathead National Forest and was a key activist in the designation of the Great Bear Wilderness and the protection of the North Fork of the Flathead River Valley which borders Glacier National Park. Edwin Fields, a well respected builder in the Flathead Valley, MT, spent decades as an activist for protecting Montana’s remaining wilderness and wild places including founding and serving as the president of Headwaters Montana. After their respective passings, both the Kreck and Field families bequeathed funds to Headwaters. Ultimately, the Headwaters board voted to sunset the organization and as a result transferred these funds to the NFPA for the management and administration of the Loren Kreck- Edwin Fields Wilderness Scholarship. Both Loren and Edwin would greatly appreciate the creation of this scholarship to promote wilderness advocacy.
Mission Statement of NFPA
The mission of the North Fork Preservation Association is to champion stewardship of the natural resources and protection of the exceptional biodiversity of the North Fork of the Flathead River watershed in Northwest Montana. More information can be found at the NFPA website https://www.gravel.org.
Application process
Interested applicants are encouraged to send the following application materials directly to:
Awards/Scholarship Committee
c/o Suzanne Hildner
104 5th St
Whitefish, MT 59937
Applications should include the following:
- Curriculum Vitae including personal history of wilderness advocacy.
- Letter of intent describing planned course of study and how it applies to the spirit of the scholarship.
- Proof of acceptance to Montana graduate institution.
- Statement of financial need. This is intended to be a general statement but could include estimated out of pocket costs for graduate course of study and extenuating circumstances such as family responsibilities.
- The deadline for applications is June 30th, 2024.