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Find
Your Park! Come Celebrate the 99th Birthday of the National Park Service:
All
National Parks Will Offer Free Admission on August 25
|
Washington,
DC – August 2015 / Newsmaker Alert / The National
Park Service is turning 99 years old on August 25, 2015, and everyone
is getting a present, free admission! Visit a park in your neighborhood
or plan a trip to one of the 408 National Park Service sites across the
country to join the party! To inspire visitors, the National Park Service
and the National Park Foundation, the official charity of America’s national
parks, have created a birthday list of 99
Ways to Find Your Park.
|
 “The
National Park Service’s 99th birthday is an opportunity to reflect on and
celebrate the role of national parks in the American story,” said National
Park Service Director Jonathan B. Jarvis. “And it’s also a time to look
ahead to our centennial year, and the next 100 years. These national treasures
belong to all of us, and we want everyone|–|especially
the next generation of park visitors, supporters and advocates – to discover
and connect with their national parks.”
In
preparation for the centennial celebration next year, the National Park
Service and the National Park Foundation are partnering to help audiences
nationwide Find Your Park/Encuentra Tu Parque. To encourage visitors to
discover everything a park experience can be, the list of 99 Ways to Find
Your Park includes a wide range of activities: from urban hikes and taking
a sunrise selfie, to earning a Junior Ranger Badge and writing poetry.
Visitors are encouraged to share their park experiences with friends and
family by using #FindYourPark or #EncuentraTuParque on social media.
On
August 25, 1916, President Woodrow Wilson signed legislation to create
the National Park Service, which preserves and protects 408 sites throughout
the country. Each one, whether it’s a national park, a historic site or
a national seashore, was established by a president or Congress to protect,
preserve and share its national significance for future generations. Some
parks commemorate notable people and achievements; others conserve magnificent
landscapes and natural wonders; and all provide a place to have fun and
learn.
“As
we celebrate 99 years of the incredible work of the National Park Service
in communities across the country, we invite people everywhere to be a
part of the Find Your Park movement and discover their own unique connections
to parks and their programs,” said Will Shafroth, president and CEO of
the National Park Foundation. “We encourage everyone to join in the birthday
fun. Take a look at our list of 99 ideas and check off what you’ve already
done, share your experiences with friends and family using #FindYourPark
and #EncuentraTuParque on social media, and try something new.”
The
National Park Service waived all of its entrance fees on nine days in 2015.
The remaining entrance fee free days are August 25 for the National Park
Service’s birthday, September 26 for National Public Lands Day, and November
11 in honor of Veterans Day. The entrance fee waiver does not cover amenity
or user fees for activities such as camping, boat launches, transportation,
or special tours.
To
find a national park near you, and to learn more about the Find Your Park
campaign, visit FindYourPark.com
or EncuentraTuParque.com.
About
the National Park Service
More
than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America’s 408 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.
About
the National Park Foundation
You
are the owner of 84 million acres of the world’s most treasured memorials,
landscapes, ecosystems, and historic sites – all protected in America’s
408 national parks. Chartered by Congress, the National Park Foundation
(www.nationalparks.org) is
the official charity of America’s national parks. We work hand in hand
with the National Park Service to connect you and all Americans to the
parks, and to make sure that they are preserved for the generations who
will follow. Join us in supporting your national parks|–|this
is your land.
Media
Contacts:
Kathy
Kupper (NPS)
202-208-6843
Alanna
Sobel (NPF)
202-796-2538 |
