The Adirondack Experience, The Museum on Blue Mountain Lake (ADKX) will be celebrating their annual Benefit Gala & Harold K. Hochschild Award ceremony on Saturday, July 30 from 6pm to 9pm, under the stars at their museum in the heart of the Adirondacks. This yearly celebration and fundraiser highlights the organization’s accomplishments and achievements, as well as honors the yearly Harold K. Hochschild Award recipient. This award, given annually to a different recipient, is dedicated to the memory of the museum’s founder, whose passion for the Adirondacks, its people, and environment inspired him to create the museum and establish the Adirondack Park Agency (APA). The 2022 award recipient is Dr. Ross S. Whaley, President Emeritus of the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (SUNY ESF) in Syracuse, NY.

Dr. Whaley has led a remarkable career dedicated to the advancement of environmental science and forestry education and the preservation of the Adirondacks. Ross spent 16 years as President of SUNY ESF. Prior to his tenure as president, Ross served as Director of Economic Research for the U.S. Forest Service. He also served as president of the Society of American Foresters. Following his tenure as president of SUNY ESF, Ross served as Chairman of the Adirondack Park Agency (2003 – 2007) followed by Senior Advisor to the Adirondack Landowners Association (2007 -2017). Ross is a Director Emeritus of the Adirondack North Country Association, and past board member of ADKAction.org, The Nature Conservancy Adirondack Chapter, Audubon NY, and was a founding member of the Board of Advisors at the Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources at the University of Vermont and the Shingle Shanty Preserve and Research Station. He has received several awards in recognition of his leadership, including the Pinchot Medallion, one of the most prestigious conservation honors in the United States. His keen sense of humor coupled with his impressive ability to bring people from all corners of the Park together has made lasting positive impacts on people and places throughout the Adirondacks.

To purchase tickets for the Gala and Award Ceremony visit the ADKX website HERE.

About Adirondack Experience, The Museum on Blue Mountain Lake
Adirondack Experience, The Museum on Blue Mountain Lake (ADKX), accredited by the American Alliance of Museums, shares the history and culture of the Adirondack region through interactive exhibits, hands-on activities, and culturally rich collections in more than 24 historic and contemporary buildings on a 121- acre campus in the heart of the Adirondacks. The ADKX offers a broad range of programs and activities including special and permanent exhibitions, the 19,000-square-foot Life in the Adirondacks interactive exhibition, and an outdoor hiking and boating experience on Minnow Pond. ADKX offers daily activities with artisans-in-residence, workshops, lectures, nature walks, family and educational programs, and signature events like the Rustic Furniture Fair, FallFest, and the Adirondack Artisan Festival. The museum is supported in part with donations from the general public, with some general operating support made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature. For additional information, call 518-352-7311 or visit www.theADKX.org.