Yosemite National Park’s meadows, trails and wildlife are better off thanks to a $5.8 million contribution by the nonprofit Yosemite Fund.

“People care deeply about preserving Yosemite,” said Mike Tollefson, president of The Yosemite Fund. “Without help from our generous donors, many of these projects would not be possible.”

A check was presented to Acting Park Superintendent Dave Uberuaga, at the Fund’s Donors Day event in Wawona last Saturday. Donors paid for 56 projects in 2009 to improve the Park.

The fund’s signature project this year was the $800,000 rehabilitation of the Half Dome Overlook, which improved vehicle and pedestrian access, educational signage and viewing terraces, and protected natural habitat.

Since 1988, The Yosemite Fund has granted over $55 million for more than 300 projects in Yosemite. Fund donors include individuals, foundations and corporations – people who have a real love for Yosemite.

Results of the fund’s work on major projects can be seen most notably at the approach to lower Yosemite Falls ($13.5 million), Glacier Point ($4 million), Happy Isles ($2 million) and Olmstead Point ($1.2 million).