By Monica Prelle
Camping Expert, about.com
With the National Park Service’s 100th anniversary approaching in 2016, the park service is launching Find Your Park, a public awareness and education campaign to celebrate the milestone centennial. First Lady Michelle Obama and Mrs. Laura Bush will serve as honorary co-chairs to promote the celebration and to encourage Americans to connect with their favorite parks and public lands.
“I
am thrilled to be serving as the honorary co-chair of the National
Parks Centennial Celebration with First Lady Laura Bush. Since the
launch of Let’s Move! Outside in 2010, the National Park Foundation has
been encouraging kids and families to get active, get outside, and take
advantage of America’s great outdoors,” said First Lady Michelle Obama.
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“I
look forward to celebrating the National Park Service’s 100th
anniversary and encouraging people across the country to ‘Find Your
Park,’ whether it's in your backyard, in your hometown, or in one of our
beautiful national parks.”
First Lady Michelle Obama recently filmed her Find Your Park story,
highlighting President’s Park, home to the White House, and her
family's connection to one of the newest national parks, Pullman
National Monument in Chicago.
Find Your Park invites the public to see that a national park is more than just a place –
it can be a feeling, a state of mind, or a sense of American pride.
Beyond vast landscapes, the campaign highlights historical, urban, and
cultural parks, as well as National Park Service programs that protect,
preserve and share nature, culture, and history in communities
nationwide. The campaign encourages people to find their own personal
connections within the network of national parks and public lands.
As
co-chairs, Mrs. Obama and Mrs. Bush will engage young Americans,
connecting them with parks and National Park Service programs, and
encouraging them to share Find Your Park stories and experiences.
[post_ads]The
campaign to connect national parks with the next generation comes at a
critical time. According to a study conducted by Hall & Partners on
behalf of the National Park Foundation, while approximately 80% of
Americans have heard of the National Park Service, only 38% are at all
familiar with the organization and all that they do.
“There is
something for everyone in our 407 national parks, whether it is the
breathtaking landscapes or the historical and cultural sites that tell
the story of our country,” said Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell.
“As we approach the centennial anniversary of the National Park Service,
this is a perfect time for all Americans – especially young people – to Find Your Park, from neighborhood parks to national parks and all public lands in between.”
Centennial
Ambassadors Bill Nye (scientist), Bella Thorne (TV and film actress),
Roselyn Sanchez (TV and film actress), Terrence J. (TV personality) and
Mary Lambert (singer/songwriter and LGBT advocate) are helping to reach
the next generation of park visitors, supporters and advocates. To
inspire participation in the Find Your Park movement, each of them has
filmed and shared their own personal national park story at different
places across the country:
You can read quotes from each of them and find out how they found their park on the National Park Foundation’s blog.
At
the heart of this engagement effort is the public invitation to share
park experiences and memories at FindYourPark.com, which will feature an
interactive gallery of inspirational stories from the general public,
National Park Service employees, and celebrities. Content will be
socialized with #FindYourPark. Also on FindYourPark.com is a searchable
list of ideas for ways to find your park, including in-park and digital
activities.
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ABOUT THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
More
than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America's 407
national parks and work with communities across the nation to help
preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational
opportunities. Learn more at: www.nps.gov.
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ABOUT THE NATIONAL PARK FOUNDATION
The
National Park Foundation is the official charity of America’s national
parks and nonprofit partner to the National Park Service. Chartered by
Congress in 1967, the National Park Foundation raises private funds to
help protect more than 84 million acres of national parks through
critical conservation and preservation efforts, connect all Americans
with their incomparable natural landscapes, vibrant culture and rich
history, and inspire the next generation of park stewards. Find out more
and become a part of the national park community at www.nationalparks.org.
