LAWRENCE -- Ben Johnson, a 2005 graduate of Lawrence High School, was named this year's recipient of the Steve Harper Scholarship. Johnson is currently serving as an intern for the Student Conservation Association, and is working with a team of students in northern California building a trail to a newly discovered waterfall. He plans to pursue an environmental science degree upon completion of his internship and will receive a one-time $1,000 scholarship.

Steve Harper was a well-known outdoor writer and photographer for The Wichita Eagle. He died of cancer in 2000, and a scholarship was established in his name. More than $10,000 was raised from assorted businesses, organizations and private individuals for the program that?s being managed by the Kansas Wildscape Foundation.

More than 20 students from across Kansas applied for the scholarship. Only students attending a Kansas college or university and majoring in natural resource management or photography can apply. The applicants were judged by representatives from Harper's family, Outdoor Writers of Kansas, and the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks. Judging criteria included past experience in their field of study, career plans, and academic accomplishments.

For more information on this award or the Kansas Wildscape Foundation, email Debbie Brandt at wildscape@sunflower.com .
-30-