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October 2016 News
Support our Parks
Kicking Off Every Kid in a Park – Coast to Coast
Deputy Superintendent Frank Young passes out “Every Kid in a Park” passes to 4th graders from
E. W. Stokes Public Charter School at the Rock Creek Park (D.C.) event sponsored by The North Face.

National Park Trust (NPT) and the Outdoors Alliance for Kids (OAK) have partnered with The North Face Explore Fund to host events in 5 cities (NYC, D.C., Boston, Chicago, and San Francisco) to celebrate the second year of President Obama’s Every Kid in a Park, a national initiative to get all 4th graders to national parks and other public lands.
The first event took place in September at Gateway National Recreation Area (NY) with P. S. 119 Amersfort Elementary from Brooklyn. Ninety students were welcomed by Superintendent Jennifer Nercesian, received their Every Kid in a Park passes, and enjoyed activities lead by park rangers, the Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy and The North Face.
Then, 50 students from E. W. Stokes Public Charter School (D.C.) discovered the wonders of Rock Creek Park. Greeted by Deputy Superintendent Frank Young, they hiked and enjoyed the planetarium with rangers, then learned about camping from The North Face. Events in San Francisco, Chicago and Boston are being planned for 2017.
We also celebrated National Environmental Education Foundation's (NEEF) National Public Lands Day. Buddy Bison 4th graders from Creative Minds and Inspired Teaching schools went camping with NPT and the U.S. Forest Service at the Armed Forces Retirement Home, an urban “forest” in Washington, D.C. The students met re-enactors of Buffalo Soldiers, received their EKiP passes, enjoyed s’mores and a night hike.
"We are excited about this partnership with NPT," said Ellen Shaw, deputy director of the U.S. Forest Service. "It’s an opportunity to reach communities in new ways, to get kids outdoors enjoying their forests and grasslands."
But that's not all! As a recipient of a Hollings Grant from the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation which was matched by the National Park Service Centennial Challenge Fund, NPT is getting every 4th grader in Ventura County, CA out to the Channel Islands National Park Visitor Center. That’s 10,000 kids! 
This month we met with 90 4th graders from Rio Rosales Elementary School who received their Every Kid in a Park passes and learned about the islands, local wildlife and plants. Junior Ranger Tigran, a Buddy Bison Student Ambassador, joined us to teach the students about the Junior Ranger program. Read more here.

Finally, thanks to our partnership with the National Park Service, REI and the Outdoor Foundation all 3,300 4th graders in D.C.'s public schools can enjoy a national park experience this school year. (Photo courtesy of Kate Noonan, J.O. Wilson Elementary School.)

All told that's more than 14,000 4th graders! A huge thanks to the National Park Service, REI, the Outdoor Foundation, U.S. Forest Service, The North Face, the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation, and NEEF for their tremendous support!
To learn more about how you can help support our efforts to get more 4th graders into parks, contact Maryann Kearns. DO YOU HAVE A 4TH GRADER? Get your free voucher here.
Buddy Bison Students Explore Their Parks!
NPT doesn’t just work with 4th graders. With the school year back in full swing, so are our Buddy Bison park trips and our work with pre-K through 8th graders across the country. This month we welcomed students from California, Washington, D.C., Georgia, and Texas at their local parks – and of course with Buddy Bison! To learn about how you can sponsor a school in your community, contact Maryann Kearns.

50 3rd graders from Neval Thomas Elementary in Washington, D.C. explored the National Mall and many of our national monuments and memorials with volunteers from their school sponsor, Potomac Electric Power Company (Pepco).
80 3rd graders from M. Agnes Jones Elementary in Atlanta, GA visited Sweetwater Creek State Park thanks to generous support from the Georgia-Pacific Foundation. They learned about local animals and their adaptations, the local geology, and discovered an old Civil War cotton mill.
And 160 4th and 5th graders from Hartsfield Elementary and Ehrhart Elementary visited Big Thicket National Park in Kountze, TX thanks to National Park Service Centennial Challenge Funds! They hiked the Sundew Trail and learned about biodiversity and the food web.
Our Kids to Parks Day School Contest is Baaaack!
NPT will launch the 6th annual Kids to Parks Day School Contest next month! Be on the lookout for our announcement in the next few weeks at kidstoparks.org with rules and instructions for how to apply for a grant (up to $1,000) for your classroom. The contest is open to all pre-K through 12th graders at Title I schools.

Teachers, start talking with your students now about their ideas on what park they would like to discover, and what they would like to do and learn there. Remember, although teachers may guide, the students are the ones submitting the proposal. And save the date, Kids to Parks Day is Saturday, May 20, 2017!

For more information contact Chris Rief.
National Bison Day is November 5th!
Get ready! The American Bison Coalition’s 4th annual National Bison Day is November 5th! Of course, this day is particularly special to our mascot, Buddy Bison.

There are events planned all across the country, from the Bronx and Queens Zoos in NYC, to Chicago’s Field Museum, and even on Capitol Hill! Click here for more information about National Bison Day and to learn more about our national mammal who represents unity, resilience, and health.
And remember, you can always stay connected with Buddy Bison on facebook, twitter, and instagram and with his monthly newsletter Buddy Bison's Buzz. You can even get your own Buddy Bison; see our website for details.


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