May 2016 News

National Mall, Washington, D.C.

Ready, Set, Play! Kids to Parks Day is Saturday!

Kids to Parks Day is this Saturday, May 21st! Now in its 6th year, Kids to Parks Day has become an important park celebration for communities all across the nation, especially during the centennial year of the National Park Service.

To date, 362 cities and towns and 14 governors have proclaimed May 21st as KTP Day with more than 400,000 participants expected to attend over 1,020 park events listed on kidstoparks.org. And our numbers are growing each day! Here are a few tips to help you have a great Kids to Parks Day!

1) Find an Event Near You.

Check out our growing list of park events here and see if there is one happening in your community. Even if you don’t see an event near your home, you can still participate by getting outdoors and visiting a park on May 21st. Check out our activity guides to help you and your family plan the day. See the story below about the Centennial Bioblitz that falls on Kids to Parks Day and oceanographer Sylvia Earle’s live dive at Channel Islands. Read the press release here.

2) Register to be Counted!

We want YOU to pledge to visit a local park on Saturday, May 21st; you’ll be automatically entered into our contest to win one of four prize packages. Read below about the Senate Resolution passed. Visit kidstoparks.org to learn more.

3) Share your Photos.

Share your photos on social media using the hashtags #KidstoParks and #BuddyBison. You can also send your photos to buddy@buddybison.org or fill out our online form at buddybison.org. Stay tuned for details about the KTP Day Instagram Photo Contest with a chance to win more awesome outdoor prizes.

4) Calling all 4th Graders!

Kids to Parks Day supports the First Lady's Let's Move! and the Presidents' Every Kid in a Park initiatives. Are you a 4th grader? Then download your free federal park voucher here. Some state parks are also accepting this too, including those in New York, Indiana, Wyoming, and Maryland.

Sylvia Earle to Live Dive on Kids to Parks Day

Dr. Sylvia Earle

In honor of Kids to Parks Day and the Centennial Bioblitz, which occurs on the same weekend, Sylvia Earle, a member of NPT’s Leadership Council will participate in a live dive at Channel Islands National Park. The Bioblitz is being hosted by National Geographic and National Park Service on May 20th - 21st.

Dr. Earle, an American marine biologist and renowned oceanographer, was Time Magazine's first Hero of the Planet in 1998. A National Geographic Explorer in Residence, she is well known for her advocacy work protecting the Earth's oceans, which she refers to as "the blue heart of the planet".

National Park Trust has provided funding to get under-served 4th graders to the live dive site to meet Dr. Earle. Her two dives on Saturday, May 21st will be broadcast onto jumbotrons on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. Click here to read the full press release.

Senator Wyden Led Bipartisan Initiative to Support Kids to Parks Day

U.S. Senators Ron Wyden, D-Ore., Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., Cory Booker, D-N.J., Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., and Mazie K. Hirono, D-Hawaii, introduced a Senate measure to encourage active lifestyles for children across America by designating May 21st national Kids to Parks Day. The resolution passed on April 28, 2016.

Wyden stated, “Kids to Parks Day builds on Oregonians’ connection with the outdoors by encouraging young kids and their families to enjoy the health benefits of getting outside, while taking in the vast beauty our state and our country have to offer.” Read the full press release here.

Our Inaugural Kids to Parks Day Ambassador

Aida Frey at Natchez Trace Parkway.

NPT is pleased to announce our first Kids to Parks Day Ambassador, Aida Frey. The goal of the Kids to Parks Day Ambassador program is to create a platform for high school or college students to serve as role models for their peers and younger students, promoting the importance of enjoying and protecting our nation's parks and public lands. Aida Frey is a freshman at Jacobs High School in Algonquin, IL. She is a true “park-aholic” earning more than 230 junior ranger badges at the young age of 15. She has even authored a book entitled, America, Can I Have Your Autograph? The Story of Junior Ranger Aida Frey.

“I am very proud to be chosen as the first ambassador of Kids to Parks Day by National Park Trust. I am very excited and can’t wait to be a role model and leader for future generations [to encourage them] to visit, enjoy, and protect our nation’s public lands” said Aida.

Aida and her family will be at Pullman National Monument in Chicago, IL this Saturday where she will participate in the Bioblitz and will also be signing copies of her book. Her favorite national park? It's a tie between Statue of Liberty and Mount Rushmore!

According to Grace Lee, NPT executive director, “Aida Frey is an inspiration for young people of all ages. We look forward to featuring her blogs and posts and sharing her park experiences with students across the country.”

REI, Outdoor Foundation, DC Mayor Bowser Team up with NPT to Get DC 4th Graders to Parks

Mayor Bowser with Buddy Bison Students at Arbor Day Celebration at Katchum Elementary, Washington, DC.

During an Arbor Day event at Ketchum Elementary (Washington, D.C.), Mayor Bowser announced the partnership between REI, the Outdoor Foundation, Outdoor Industry Association, The Conservation Fund, and NPT, to get every public school 4th grader in Washington, D.C. to a national park next school year. Approximately 3,300 4th graders in the District will benefit from the partnership that supports the Outdoor Foundation’s Parks4Kids and the President’s Every Kid in a Park programs; the program will be managed and implemented by National Park Trust working with the National Park Service and DC’s public schools.

"In this centennial year of the National Park Service, we are delighted to work on this historic opportunity to get every 4th grader connected with their local national parks. Our parks are wonderful outdoor classrooms and great places for outdoor recreation. D.C. is very fortunate to have many different types of parks around the corner and across town,” stated Grace Lee, executive director, National Park Trust. Read the full press release here.

White House Fact Sheet On Every Kid in a Park

The White House recently announced that more than two dozen foundations, companies and nonprofit organizations, including NPT, have signed on to the President’s Every Kid in a Park initiative, committing to funding trips to America’s national parks and other public lands and waters for nearly half a million 4th-grade children. The announcement cited NPT’s Buddy Bison School Program and Kids to Parks Day and our work with 130 schools to encourage 4th graders to take advantage of this opportunity. Read the full press release here.

NPT will Honor Congresswoman Betty McCollum (MN)

Congresswoman Betty McCollum (MN).

Save the Date! On June 16th, NPT will honor Congresswoman Betty McCollum (Minnesota, 4th District) with the 16th Bruce F. Vento Public Service Award for her outstanding advocacy and support of parks, and public lands and waters.

The Vento Award was established in 2000 to honor the memory and legacy of Bruce F. Vento, a twelve-term congressman, dedicated environmentalist and champion of legislation for America's parks, who also represented Minnesota’s 4th District.

For information about the event, sponsorship, and tickets, contact Rebecca Hansell, programs and office administrator, at rebecca @parktrust.org or call 301-279-7275. Read the full press release here.

Email: npt@parktrust.org - Phone: 301.279.7275

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