Teachers: don't miss a great opportunity to get your students outside for hands-on learning with help from National Park Trust (NPT). Our 2018 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. NPT will award each winning school with a park scholarship up to $1,000. Thanks to Northside USA and First Solar for their tremendous lead support of the contest. Their sponsorships will help us provide grants for our contest winners. Last year, we awarded grants benefiting 70 schools. Click here for more information on the contest and to download an entry form. Hurry, the contest closes February 1!
And The Buddy Goes To...
Curley Dossman (Georgia-Pacific Foundation) and Principal Margul Woolfolk join Buddy Bison, Chelsea Vines, and Beverly Ferguson (Georgia-Pacific) for the celebration.
It's award season! We all know about the Emmys, the Oscars and the Tonys. This month, NPT surprised Chelsea Vines from M. Agnes Jones Elementary (Atlanta, GA) with The Buddy Award our National Educator Award for Excellence in Environmental Stewardship.
Every year we honor an extraordinary environmental education leader. Chelsea has played an important, lead role in the implementation of the Buddy Bison Program at her school, engaging their 3rd-grade students with local parks and the great outdoors. She uses parks to enhance the classroom curricula and creates priceless memories for her students at the same time. Congratulations Chelsea! Read more here.
Join the Parks and Tech Challenge to Upgrade our National Parks for the 21st Century!
On Feb 10-11, join Pew Charitable Trust and CivicMakers, park experts and a host of smart folks to design creative solutions to real challenges. This event is taking place in San Francisco with the goal of creating solutions using technology to help address the National Park Service's (NPS) $12 billion backlog of maintenance projects. Former NPS Director Jon Jarvis will be a judge along with NPT's Grace Lee; NPT's Phil Selleck will serve as a mentor. Admission is free! Food, fun & PRIZES! http://parksandtech.org #parksandtech
Celebrating Martin Luther King, Jr.
This month, in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Park Act was signed into law which changed the designation of this National Park Service (NPS) unit from a national historic site to a national historic park. Did you know that in 1996 NPT donated three parcels of land to benefit the park?
Every year the National Park Service (NPS) opens all parks to the public for free. Typically 118 of the 417 units charge entrance fees. Mark your calendars; here are the remaining dates on which fees will be waived in 2018:
— April 21: First Day of National Park Week
— September 22: National Public Lands Day
— November 11: Veterans Day
Bison Legacy Society
It’s official! National Park Trust (NPT) celebrates and thanks its 23 Founding Members of the Bison Legacy Society (BLS). Please join these trailblazers by including NPT in your estate plans.
The BLS is comprised of forward-thinking people who will provide future support for NPT through bequests, charitable remainder trusts, and other life income gifts. Gifts from your estate complement your annual gifts by enabling future generations to experience the beauty of the parks – providing more impact than you ever thought possible and inspiring others to do the same.
To learn more about the Bison Legacy Society, contact Maryann Kearns, director of development, at maryann@parktrust.org or call 301.279.7275 ext. 15.
Have you already included us in your estate plans? Please let us know so that we may thank you personally and recognize you as a member of the BLS.
On Feb 10-11, join Pew Charitable Trust and CivicMakers, park experts and a host of smart folks to design creative solutions to real challenges. This event is taking place in San Francisco with the goal of creating solutions using technology to help address the National Park Service's (NPS) $12 billion backlog of maintenance projects. Former NPS Director Jon Jarvis will be a judge along with NPT's Grace Lee; NPT's Phil Selleck will serve as a mentor. Admission is free! Food, fun & PRIZES! 
Every year the National Park Service (NPS) opens all parks to the public for free. Typically 118 of the 417 units charge entrance fees. Mark your calendars; here are the remaining dates on which fees will be waived in 2018:
