NEWS RELEASE

Contact: Jan Fiderio 603.283.2107 jfidero@antioch.edu

May 10, 2011 for Immediate Release

Please Don’t Trample the Plants: Signs Go Up on Mount Monadnock

Antioch University New England students, faculty, help educate hikers

(Keene, NH) -- Faculty and students from the Monadnock Ecological Research and Education (MERE) Project at Antioch University New England (AUNE) will hike Mount Monadnock on Friday, May 13, to post signs cautioning the public to avoid stepping on fragile alpine plants.

They’ll go to the Virginia Falls area on the heavily traveled White Dot Trail to put up the signs. “The White Dot Trail gets tens of thousands of hikers annually, so the area is really impacted due to trampling,” said Professor Peter Palmiotto, core faculty in the Department of Environmental Studies and director of MERE. “It’s significant because there hasn’t been any education on the fragility of alpine plant species on Monadnock. The state is limited by resources. That’s why MERE is so valuable–we can provide that information and assist in conserving the plant species on the mountain.”

MERE plans to start revegetation experiments on the mountain this summer. Summit Stewards will also be on the mountain for the third summer in a row, talking to hikers about the fragility of alpine plant species and how to protect them.

MERE was initiated in 2007 by Professor Palmiotto and graduate students in AUNE’s Department of Environmental Studies.

About Antioch University New England (AUNE)
Antioch University New England offers highly respected doctoral, master’ s and certificate programs in education, environmental studies, management and psychology. Located in Keene, New Hampshire, this unique institution serves a thousand students each year. Our graduates have gone on to be leaders of positive change, working toward a more just and sustainable society. Founded in 1964, Antioch University is the oldest of Antioch University’ s graduate campuses. Learn more at: www.antiochne.edu.

About Antioch University
Antioch University serves more than 4,000 adult students around the world and across the country, online and at its five campuses in four states. Each campus offers degree programs that meet—and often anticipate—the pressing needs of its region and the wider world. The University is also home to the landmark PhD in Leadership and Change; Antioch Education Abroad, an exceptional opportunity of immersive service and study programs; and WYSO, a leading public radio affiliate and an essential source of global news and opinion.

Antioch University is a nonprofit private 501(c) (3) organization and member of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. For more information, visit www.antioch.edu.www.antioch.edu.

Last Updated: 5/15/11