Lake Quinault (Photo by Tom Harpel from Seattle, Washington, United States)

As we begin the second century of the National Park Service, NPT is setting our sights on the acquisition and preservation of numerous high priority lands to benefit our national parks, including a parcel of just under 0.5 acres at Lake Quinault in Olympic National Park (WA). Although small in size, it's big in ecological significance.

The parcel is surrounded on three sides by Olympic National Park and Forest. It is the only parcel in that block that does not belong to the National Park Service. Acquisition will keep it in its natural state by preventing further development along the portion of the stream that feeds into the lake, and it will protect water quality for the Quinault River. The lake and river system support populations of sockeye, chum and Chinook salmon as well as steelhead, bull and Dolly Varden trout. The Quinault National Fish Hatchery, downstream from the lake, raises salmon and steelhead which populate the river. All deserve protection.

In order to acquire this land, we seek to raise $45,000 to purchase the property and donate it to the park. Click here to learn more about this project or contact Maryann Kearns, director of development, at 301.279.7275 ext. 15. Or click here to support this important project today.

The 2017 Buddy Award recipients, Bobby Caballero and René Hayden (center) surrounded by their third-grade students.

It's award season! We all know about the Emmys, the Oscars and the Tonys. Last Friday, NPT surprised two members of the Elsie Whitlow Stokes Community Freedom Public Charter School with The Buddy, our National Teacher Award for Outstanding Environmental Stewardship.

We typically honor one outstanding educator annually. However, this year we made an exception and chose to recognize two extraordinary environmental school leaders: Bobby Caballero, Dean of Students and René Hayden, a 3rd-grade teacher. Each of them have played an important role in the implementation of the Buddy Bison School Program and engaging their entire school with parks and the outdoors.

"Elsie Whitlow Stokes was one of the first schools to join the Buddy Bison School Program in 2009, our inaugural year," stated Grace Lee, NPT executive director. "Although the program was just getting off the ground, Bobby Caballero quickly embraced our new initiative, realizing the value of parks for his students." And as soon as René Hayden learned about the program, he enthusiastically led the charge as well, using every opportunity to take his classroom curriculum outdoors and teach his students about the importance of park stewardship."

What have the Stokes scholars experienced since 2009? They have paddled on the Anacostia River, rock climbed at Carderock with Secretary Sally Jewell, hiked and explored the planetarium at Rock Creek Park, helped us honor Representative Mike Simpson (ID) with the 13th Bruce F. Vento Public Service Award, enjoyed an annual all-school fall day at Watkins Regional Park where they also camped overnight. And this spring their 3rd graders and René will camp for three days and two nights at Harper's Ferry.

Thank you Bobby, René, and Stokes PCS for leading by example and showing how beneficial and great the outdoors really are!