December 2015 News

Swiftcurrent Lake by moonlight at Glacier National Park. Photo courtesy of Frank Lee Ruggles

It's never too early to start planning your next park trip! The National Park Service announces 16 fee-free days in honor of the centennial in 2016. Celebrate 100 years of conservation, recreation, and history by visiting our national treasures.

Students Can Win a Park Adventure!

Last year's contest winners, 3rd-grade students from Leasure Elementary, DE visit Elk Neck State Park.

Teachers! Don't miss a great opportunity to get your students outside for hands-on learning with help from NPT. Our 2016 Kids to Parks Day National School Contest encourages students to create and plan their own park experience to celebrate Kids to Parks Day in May. With help from the National Park Service Centennial Challenge Fund and other sponsors including an early gift from First Solar of the Toledo Community Foundation, NPT will award 100 schools with park scholarships up to $1,000. The contest is open to all under-served public, public charter and private schools across the U.S. in grades pre-K through 12. Attention 4th graders: this is a great way to participate in President Obama's Every Kid in a Park initiative.

Contest opens on January 4, 2016 and ends on March 4th. Winners will be announced on March 25th. See contest forms here. For more information about the contest, contact Billy Schrack at william@parktrust.org or call 301-279-7275 x11. Would you like to help support this program? Contact Dan Quinn at danquinn@parktrust.org or call 301-279-7275 x15.

NPT Welcomes Two New Board Members

Tom Costley is the Director of Overland, a summer camp he founded in 1984. Overland offers hiking, biking, service, and language camps on five continents to over 2,200 campers from across the country. With a lifetime of outdoor experiences—a college summer spent as a tour guide in Glacier National Park, hiking and camping in Yellowstone and Yosemite, and swimming and snorkeling in Virgin Islands National Park—Tom is eager to contribute to National Park Trust’s efforts to provide greater access to our country’s public lands. Tom and his family live in Williamstown, Massachusetts.

Tom stated, “For me, the National Park Trust’s efforts to broaden access to our public lands is compelling—both for its inherent and immediate benefits (a day outdoors!) as well as for its social justice and stewardship values.”

Board member, Charles Pardoe shared, "I am thrilled to welcome Tom. Many aspects of his experience in building Overland will be applicable to our youth programs. Overland transforms kids lives and that's precisely what we aim to do by getting kids into our parks and public lands."

Neal Kemkar is currently the Counsel and Director of Environmental Policy at the General Electric Company, where he coordinates and develops environmental strategy and advocacy across GE’s business groups.

"As Mollie Beattie shared as Director of the Fish and Wildlife Service, 'I believe that what a country chooses to save is what a country chooses to say about itself.' ” stated Neal. “That’s why I believe that the mission of the National Park Trust, to preserve parks today and create park stewards for tomorrow, is so important, and why I am thrilled to join its board.”

Board member, Chuck Knauss shared, "I am especially pleased to welcome Neal to the NPT board. Neal brings to the board a deep knowledge of parks gained from both extensive personal experience and a wide range of appointed government positions, including roles with the White House Council on Environmental Quality, U.S. Secretary of the Interior, and Governor of Colorado. This experience combined with his ability to offer both creative and practical advice will be enormously useful to the board as we build our programs and support our parks."

National Christmas Tree Lights Up Students' Night

Lucky Buddy Bison students from Beacon Heights Elementary in Maryland and Washington School for Girls (WSG) in D.C. were able to attend the National Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony earlier this month. 4th-grade students, Ife, Madison, and Kenyah from WSG shared, "We loved being so close to the first lady, the president, Ms. Piggy, and all the special artists! Michelle Obama even waved to us!"

This cherished American tradition marks the beginning of the holiday season and has been celebrated in President's Park, a national park unit for the past 93 years. Thanks to the Coleman Company for their donation of 10 VIP event tickets, and to Pepco (Beacon Heights ES), and The Steed Family (WSG) for their sponsorship of these two schools into our Buddy Bison program. Collectively they created unforgettable memories for these 4th graders!

Buddy Bison "Hangs" with Treasurer of the U.S.

Treasurer of the United States Rosie Rios and Buddy Bison.

Last month, Buddy Bison joined Treasurer of the United States Rosie Rios for the unveiling of the commemorative coins honoring the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service (NPS) at the Department of the Interior. (Can you spot little Buddy Bison in this picture?)

The Centennial commemorative coin serves as a lasting tribute to 100 years of the National Park Service - 'America's Best Idea'," said Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell. "Whether these coins are kept in a safe place at home or given as a gift to the next generation, they serve as a lasting reminder that our nation is blessed with unique natural, cultural and historical treasures.”

"Heads or tails, this Centennial commemorative coin helps to honor the National Park Service's first century of service to protect, preserve, and share some of our nation's greatest natural resources, culture, and history," said NPS Director Jon Jarvis. "The coins will be a fun centennial collectible, and the proceeds will contribute to our second century of service to the American people."

Designs of the three-coin program include a $5 gold coin featuring John Muir and Theodore Roosevelt with Yosemite National Park's Half Dome in the background. Click here for more information.

From Left to Right: National Park Service Ranger Rivka Zuares, National Park Service Centennial Coordinator Alexa Viets, Treasurer of the United States Rosie Rios, National Park Service Director Jonathan B. Jarvis, U.S. Representative Erik Paulsen, Scottish Government Counsellor for the Americas Donnie Jack, and National Park Foundation President/CEO Will Shafroth at the National Park Service 100th Anniversary Commemorative Coin Program design unveiling ceremony in Nov. U.S. Mint Photo by Sharon McPike.

What An Amazing Year Thanks to YOU!

2015 was a terrific year for NPT and Buddy Bison! Watch this video which summarizes what we've been able to accomplish thanks to YOUR support.

Some of our best highlights include the completion of the acquisition of eight properties at Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore to extend the park's boundary, and the advancement of the acquisition of the Ackerson Meadow to benefit Yosemite National Park. We also worked with the National Park Service to develop a ‘wish list’ of parcels that we aim to purchase over the next few years.

The announcement of President Obama's Every Kid in a Park initiative dovetails wonderfully with our national grassroots movement Kids to Parks Day celebrated on May 16th in 2015 with more than 620,000 participants. To make the celebration more robust, our Kids to Parks Day National School Contest provided park scholarships for 51 schools benefiting 3,300 students, grades pre-K to 12. First Lady Michelle Obama tweeted about the day!

Finally, some quick 2015 firsts for Buddy Bison: Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Snoop Dog instagrammed a selfie with Buddy! We named Tigran Nahabedian our first student Buddy Bison Ambassador (follow Tigran’s park adventures in our Buddy Bison's Buzz student newsletter). And, we added new Buddy Bison schools in San Francisco, Atlanta, Chicago, St Louis, Newark, Houston (Beaumont), and Washington D.C.

Thank you! We look forward to working with you in 2016, the centennial year! Happy Holidays!

Email: npt@parktrust.org - Phone: 301.279.7275

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