January 25, 2006
Dawn Reardon of Hudson, NC to Research Wetlands Species at UNC Asheville

Raleigh & Asheville, NC (January 25, 2006) - NC Beautiful and UNC Asheville are pleased to announce that Dawn Reardon was recently named a NC Beautiful Undergraduate Environmental Research Scholar. She will receive the Governor and Mrs. Dan K. Moore Fellowship, a $3,000 scholarship for research of a wetlands species at the Tulula Wetlands Mitigation Bank in Graham County.

Reardon is one of four UNC Asheville students to receive the prestigious recognition from NC Beautiful, a North Carolina non-profit organization dedicated to supporting environmental stewardship from the mountains to the coast.

“Dawn is a dedicated student who is truly concerned about North Carolina’s environment,” says Jane Rogers, NC Beautiful managing director. “Her passion aligns with that of our organization and we are thrilled to support a student whose efforts will positively impact the future of our state.”

Reardon is a graduate of South Caldwell High School in Hickory, NC. She is a junior at UNC Asheville working towards a degree in Ecology and Environmental Biology. Her research will be a continuation of a project on tag alder at Tulula Wetlands Mitigation Bank in Graham County. She will perform a scientific study of insect herbivory, specifically on the intriguing woolly alder aphid that feeds on the tag alder.

“I am honored to be supported by an organization that makes the quality of North Carolina’s environment a top priority through the funding of undergraduate research,” said Reardon.

The Governor and Mrs. Dan K. Moore Fellowship is offered to Environmental Studies students at UNC Asheville, due to the strength of this department. The research money is designed to support a student’s tuition fees, room and board so they can more effectively concentrate on their area of study.

ABOUT NC BEAUTIFUL
NC Beautiful is a non-profit environmental education organization interested in protecting North Carolina’s natural beauty and good environmental stewardship. Governor and Mrs. Dan K. Moore founded it in 1966. Governor Easley serves as honorary chair of the Board of Directors, which is comprised of volunteers from across North Carolina. NC Beautiful sponsors other programs to promote beautification and stewardship. It also provides $1,000 incentive grants to teachers and $10,000 research fellowships to graduate students studying environmental sciences at North Carolina universities, and manages a research-focused scholars program at the undergraduate level. For more information about programs in which your community, schools, and citizens can participate, contact NC Beautiful at PO Box 10155, Raleigh, NC 27605; call 919-828-3028; or e-mail ncbeautiful@bellsouth.net.