DATE: October 09, 2008

CONTACT: Brett Wright, 864-656-3036
wright@clemson.edu

WRITER: Ross Norton, 864-656-4810
rnorton@clemson.edu

Tim Merriman presented the William C. Everhart Award

CLEMSON — Tim Merriman of Fort Collins, Colo., was named winner of the William C. Everhart Award Oct. 8 during Clemson University’s annual George B. Hartzog Jr. Environmental Awards luncheon.

The Everhart Award, named for a former National Park Service director, recognizes a professional for sustained achievements in park or historic site interpretation.

Merriman is executive director of the National Association for Interpretation. He has been an environmental educator at Southern Illinois University, a park ranger/interpreter at Giant City State Park in Illinois, executive director of the Greenway and Nature Center of Pueblo, Colo., science director at Bat Conservation International in Texas and research and innovations manager for Land Between the Lakes NRA in Kentucky.

He has traveled extensively in Asia to work on interpretive projects with World Heritage Site managers. He and a colleague, Lisa Brochu, developed the interpretive plan for Wolong Panda Reserve in China.

Brett Wright, chairman of Clemson University department of parks, recreation and tourism management (PRTM), presented the award at the annual program and lecture series named for Hartzog, director of the National Park Service from 1964-1973.
    
The Hartzog Fund at Clemson University allows the PRTM department to sponsor the Hartzog Lecture Series in Resource Management.

Established in 1966, Clemson’s PRTM department is one of the largest and oldest of its type in North America. The department has enjoyed a longstanding relationship with the National Park Service and other federal and state land management agencies.

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