National Park Trust

10/15/2026

Happy 60th birthday, Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore! 🥳

In 2019, National Park Trust helped add the land beside the Munising Front Range Light to the park. The light has guided ships safely into Munising harbor since 1908.

Protecting places like this keeps America's stories standing where they happened.

Learn more about this project at: https://parktrust.org/protected-parks/pictured-rocks-national-lakeshore-mi/

📸 : H. Bradburn/NPS Photo

10/14/2026

We heard you've been asking around. 🐦

There's more than one way to support our national parks. At National Park Trust, we protect at-risk park land and help more kids and families experience these places for the first time. Your support makes both possible.

Find your way to help: parktrust.org/ways-to-support

10/13/2026

The outdoors is better together. 💚

8 University of Central Florida students spent 3 days backpacking Cumberland Island National Seashore in Georgia, many of them backpacking for the first time.

National Park Trust's College Ambassador Program helps students lead trips like this for their peers, building the next generation of park stewards.

Read the story: https://parktrust.org/blog/university-of-central-florida-backpacks-across-cumberland-island/

10/12/2026

Fishing, birding, and a day with Buddy Bison. Best school day ever? 🎣🦬

41 third graders spent the day at Chase State Fishing Lake in Kansas, learning to cast a line and spot local birds. Each one went home with their own fishing pole and tackle box to keep the adventure going.

Learn more at parktrust.org!

10/09/2026

Meet our newest class of College Ambassadors! 🎉

This school year, students from 20 campuses nationwide will help their peers explore parks, take part in stewardship projects, and get outside, many for the first time. 🌲

Last year, our ambassadors connected 923 students to parks and public lands, and this class is ready to build on that momentum.

Get to know this year's ambassadors and hear what inspires them in our new introduction video!

Watch now: https://parktrust.org/blog/meet-national-park-trusts-2026-27-college-ambassadors/

National Park Trust welcomes its 2026-27 College Ambassadors, students from 20 campuses nationwide who will help their peers explore parks, care for public lands, and get outside.

10/07/2026

Everybody wants Buddy Bison in their life. 🦬💚

Lucky for us, he's our coworker. Together, National Park Trust staff and Buddy bring the adventure to classrooms, trails, and park outings across the country, helping kids and families discover national parks, often for the very first time.

Learn more about our mission at parktrust.org!

10/06/2026

Fish on! 🎣

Last month, we teamed up with our longtime partner Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing, Inc. to welcome 20 veterans to Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. They spent the day fly-fishing the Platte River during its fall salmon run.

Through our Military Family Programs, we connect veterans and military families to the parks and public lands they've helped protect.

Read more at: https://parktrust.org/blog/veterans-connect-through-fly-fishing-at-sleeping-bear-dunes-national-lakeshore/

10/05/2026

Calling all teachers: your next field trip could be in a national park! 🚌🌲

Applications are now open for our 2027 Kids to Parks School Grants. In honor of the 17th annual Kids to Parks Day on May 15, 2027, National Park Trust is offering up to $1,000 per classroom for an in-park field trip for Title I schools (PreK–12) nationwide.

Every trip is student-driven and includes a stewardship project and a park-themed lesson, so kids aren't just visiting parks, they're learning to care for them.

📅 Apply by Friday, January 29, 2027. For more details and application visit: https://bit.ly/KTPGrant

10/03/2026

Happy ! 🍎🦬 Thank you to all of our educators who inspire us, make learning an adventure, and spark curiosity.

Here at National Park Trust, we’re honored to collaborate with nearly 200 schools nationwide through our School Program, where learning comes to life through hands-on outdoor exploration. Working with teachers, our goal is that every student who discovers a park today can grow into a steward who protects it tomorrow!

Learn more about our youth programs at: https://parktrust.org/overview/buddy-bison-school-program/

10/02/2026

Congratulations to Robert G. Stanton, our 2026 American Park Experience Award honoree! 🎉

Serving 35 years with the National Park Service, including as its first African American Director, Stanton worked to make parks welcoming places for all Americans. His belief in building future park stewards helped inspire National Park Trust's youth programs, which now connect tens of thousands of kids to parks every year.

Special thanks to President Bill Clinton and the Clinton Foundation for their congratulatory letter and kind words in support of Stanton.

Stanton joins past APEX Award recipients, including former First Lady Laura W. Bush; weathercaster and journalist Al Roker; filmmaker Jimmy Chin; Yosemite park ranger Shelton Johnson; Hydro Flask for its Parks for All program; urban redevelopment expert Dan Biederman; former U.S. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell; former U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar; and filmmaker Ken Burns and Dayton Duncan.

Learn more about the APEX award at: https://parktrust.org/news/national-park-trust-honors-robert-g-stanton-with-2026-american-park-experience-apex-award/



📸: Rick Lewis