National Park Trust

We preserve parks today and create park stewards for tomorrow. We acquire the missing pieces of our national parks, the privately owned land located within and adjacent to our national parks' boundaries. We also bring thousands of kids from under-served communities to our parks; they are our future caretakers of these priceless resources.

In our lands work, we have completed 67 projects in 52 national park units in 28 states, Washington, DC and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Our Youth and Family programs served more than 76,000 participants last year through more than 500 in-park and virtual park experiences. Our Buddy Bison School Program provides outdoor recreation opportunities and environmental education for elementary and middle schools in underserved communities. Through in-person and distance learning resources, National Park Trust provides experiences for students to learn from park rangers, naturalists, and other outdoor education professionals. The National Park Trust College Ambassador Program provides college students with the resources to lead initiatives on their campuses that increase outdoor recreation participation and stewardship within their campus communities while also increasing access and awareness of parks and outdoor places. National Park Trust works with all branches of the Armed Forces, active duty and gold star families, veterans, and military survivors to help the military community experience parks and engage in outdoor recreation. In addition, National Park Trust offers numerous grant and funding opportunities throughout the year that support youth and family outdoor engagement programs.

Testimonials

Comment from a teacher after taking her class on a trip thanks to our 'Kids to Parks Day Grant Program': "[The trip] was spectacular. The smiles on the student faces were priceless. Most had never even seen the falls and several had no clue how close Canada is to us...Your generous grant paid for the transportation and the Cave of the Winds experience. Many families in our school are financially strapped. They do not take trips, even local, because of the financial burden. This was an outstanding experience that opened the eyes of the students to things in their backyard that are fun and free. Anyone can visit the park and see the wonders without paying...Finally, the students loved giving back by cleaning the grounds. [They] realized that everyone should be doing their part to keep nature beautiful."
- Karin Cyganovich, teacher, Cheektowaga Central High School (Niagara Falls State Park, New York)

Comment about the impact of National Park Trust's help in acquiring a critical piece of land for the North Country Trail in Michigan: "This success is a testament to the incredible value and importance of Nation Park Trust's mission, the exceptional competency and dedication of your staff who achieve it and will serve as an enduring example of the power of partnerships in completing and protecting the North Country National Scenic Trail." CHRISTOPHER E. LOUDENSLAGER, NORTH COUNTRY NATIONAL SCENIC TRAIL SUPERINTENDENT