Five tourism projects -- two in New York City and three in Canada -- are winners in the 2010 Phoenix Awards from the the Society of American Travel Writers (SATW).
Phoenix Awards recognize conservation, preservation, beautification and anti-pollution accomplishments.
In New York, SATW honored the High Line, a vertical public park, and the Central Park Conservancy.
In Canada, Phoenix Award winners were Miscou Island in New Brunswick, the Trans Canada Trail, and Dr. Mary Majka and Mary’s Point Western Hemispheric Shorebird Reserve in Harvey, New Brunswick.
For the Phoenix Awards video, click Phoenix Awards 2010 from SATW Video on Vimeo.
New York City
The High Line was built in the 1930s to lift dangerous freight trains off Manhattan's busy streets. For years, it sat unused. Since a portion of it opened as a park in June 2009, the High Line has attracted more than two million visitors.
New York's Central Park Conservancy was founded in 1980 to restore the park to the brilliance created by 19th-century designers Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux. More than 25 million people visit Central Park each year, with at least 20 percent coming from outside New York City. A National Historic Landmark, Central Park was the first public park built in America.
Canada
Miscou Island is one of the single most beautiful spots in the world. Visitors can beach comb, bird watch, climb the lighthouse, walk the interpretive boardwalk through the bog. Said a reviewer, “I love the combination of historic and environmental conservation with the operational nature of the lighthouse. Outstanding.”
The Trans Canada Trail was created along defunct rail lines, old logging trails, historic waterways and pathways. It is a multi-use corridor linking Canada’s major cities and attractions from coast to coast. At 10,000 miles, the Trans Canada Trail is the world’s longest network of trails. Further expansion is in the works with a goal of 13,670 miles from Atlantic to Pacific and to the Arctic Oceans.
Every year, between 75 and 90 percent of the world’s population of migrating shorebirds stop for food and rest at New Brunswick's Mary’s Point. Thanks to the vision of Dr. Mary Majka, a trained naturalist, a valuable shorebird reserve was re-claimed from private ownership and developed into an asset for future generations. A reviewer said, ”A wonderful example of environmental conservation in the highly-visited Fundy area. Combined with its restoration from an over-used beach facility, this is a great example of the spirit behind the Phoenix Awards.”
Phoenix Awards were announced at the annual conference of the Society of American Travel Writers, this year in Dresden and Leipzig, Germany.
