Located at the western edge of Franklin County, not far from the hamlet of St. Regis Falls, the Azure Mountain fire tower has been standing guard over the northern Adirondacks since 1918. In 2001 the Azure Mountain Friends (AMF) organization was formed to save, restore, and maintain the Azure fire tower and related infrastructure. The Friends subsequently created the AMF Scholarship Program to encourage the involvement of local students in its efforts to achieve these goals.
Each year the AMF awards from two to four $750 scholarships to students who are planning to attend college in the Fall, most often for the first time. In turn, each scholarship recipient agrees to volunteer to serve five days as a Fire Tower & Summit Steward on Azure Mountain. In learning about Azure Mountain’s human and natural history and the story of the fire tower’s restoration, AMF Scholarship recipients gain a new awareness and appreciation for environmental and historic preservation. Each recipient is mentored on their first day by an experienced AMF member, which makes the Scholarship experience even more rewarding. Since 2006, nearly 40 AMF Scholarships have been awarded to area students.
The scholarship, offered by the non-profit Azure Mountain Friends, is intended for students who have an interest in environmental conservation and/or the preservation and interpretation of historic structures. Funds go to the recipient's college and may be applied toward the costs of tuition, books, housing, and any other institutional fees. Scholarship recipients will receive training in the social and natural history of Azure Mountain and its century-old fire tower and, through service as volunteer stewards, will gain experience in explaining aspects of that history to visitors. They must be able to provide their own transportation to and from the Azure Mountain trailhead, which is about 10 miles from St. Regis Falls in western Franklin County, and be physically able to hike the steep one mile to the fire tower. We seek students who are good with people.
