NATIONAL PARKS BLOG

Turning 94 is a cause for celebration! Today, Wednesday, August 25, you can celebrate your parks and wish a happy birthday to the National Park Service! Known to park rangers as Founders Day, this anniversary reminds us that America did something unprecedented when, at the urging of its citizens, it preserved millions of acres of pristine wilderness for the enjoyment of all people in perpetuity. Today that wilderness is called Yellowstone National Park. It was the world’s first national park and remains an inspiration to our nation and the world.

Take a moment to celebrate a legacy we all have inherited as Americans, and join us in making sure our national parks are protected and preserved for generations to come. Make a birthday gift!

And if you are looking for something to do to celebrate with the parks, download our free National Parks Owner’s Guide or visit the National Park Service event calendar.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY NATIONAL PARK SERVICE!

Program Director, National Park Foundation

I just read an article by Philippe Cousteau, CEO of EarthEcho International, about his recent trip to Yellowstone National Park. Click here to see HuffPo commentary.

Cousteau writes about what he’s observed and learned while in Yellowstone. One sentence, in particular, jumped out at me, “Other challenges are threatening the parks as well. A familiar refrain I heard over and over from guides and rangers alike was the concern over the effects of an increasingly volatile climate.”

I was struck by this sentence because I’m working on NPF’s upcoming Electronic Field Trip (EFT) to North Cascades National Park, which will focus on climate change. NPF picked North Cascades for the EFT because it is home to over 300 glaciers. And many of these glaciers have shrunk dramatically during the last century thanks, in part, to global warming.

The upcoming EFT, which will air on October 13th, will use North Cascades as a medium for explaining climate change and its impacts. I think some of the kids will be surprised to learn that the glaciers are not only wonders of the natural world, but they provide an important source of water for the plants, animal and people that live in the region. As the glaciers shrink, a water supply is diminished.

I hope our EFT is successful in teaching thousands of children about climate change, and motivating them to take action to help mitigate the human-caused impacts on the climate.

To learn more about our upcoming EFT click here!

As we all know, the oil well in the Gulf of Mexico has finally been capped.  But not before over 200 million gallons of oil has spilled and devastated the region.  The fight to save our environment is far from over, including the fight for our national parks.  Take a look in our video update from the region:

You can still help our national parks of the Gulf region in their moment of need.

Donate online at www.helpparks.org or by texting “PARKS” to 90999 on your mobile phone by September 1st. Your money will go DIRECTLY to the impacted parks and help make them even better – from education programs, to park enhancements to environmental monitoring.

Our national parks belong to all of us. Please help.

(NOTE: Funds raised will not go towards mitigating BP’s responsibilities).

The Land Player

This week’s Featured Video for the “Your Parks Video Challenge,” is submitted from TheLandPlayer who made this acoustic riff about the Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons.

TheLandPlayer had set out to the Grand Tetons with his wife to celebrate their tenth wedding anniversary, when a simple sinus infection turned into pneumonia.  He says, “In the song presented here, I am reflecting on my surroundings and the recent events of my life - the anniversary, being sick, seeking beautiful places when your bank account says not to.  This is the only take, all the words are improvised, and I like to think that maybe for a second or two I was the voice of the scene around me.”

Continue to read the lyrics to this spontaneous and heartfelt song:

Read the rest of this entry »

It’s not every day that you will help protect our national parks and preserve our environment by simply clicking your mouse. But today you can! Target has created a great opportunity for all American’s to help raise cash support for our national parks - and all it takes is casting an online vote.

The National Park Foundation was selected by Target to benefit from Bullseye Gives, a two-week long giving campaign on its Facebook page. From May 10th to May 25th, Facebook users have the power to decide how Target will distribute $3 million among ten nonprofit organizations - including NPF. The percentage of votes the Foundation receives will represent its portion of the $3 million.

So take a few seconds and lend your support for our national parks. Visit Target’s facebook page, click the “Vote” tab and cast your ballot for the National Park Foundation.  Vote today and every day through May 25th.