On June 25, 2016, during the 100-year anniversary of the National Park System, David Shaw announced a $1 million gift that set in motion a vision of the next century’s legacy for America’s national parks.
Led by Schoodic Institute, and in partnership with the National Park Service, National Park Foundation, and the David Evans Shaw Family Foundation, Second Century Stewardship was a multi-faceted approach to creating conservation solutions across parks and protected areas. Between 2016 and 2023, Second Century Stewardship supported
- Research fellowships for a new generation of scientists in parks.
- Stories of park science to inform and inspire, reaching new audiences.
- Citizen engagement that stimulated learning, curiosity, and concern for our national parks.
Building on this success, in 2023 the Second Century Stewardship partners announced the new Acadia Science Fellowship to continue to support management-relevant science, communication, and engagement in Acadia National Park.
Second Century Stewardship across the National Park System
Science communication and citizen science workshops across the country have been conducted in partnership with 60+ National Park Service units and programs and 60+ partners. Second Century Stewardship inventoried and enhanced other fellowship programs across the national parks, and advanced a community of practice for science communication and engagement. Schoodic Institute continues to pursue and support these efforts.
“We must not fail to cultivate the next generation of park stewards if we are to sustain park health and access for our grandchildren and their children.” – David Shaw
