Help celebrate “Healthy Parks, Healthy People” during National Park Week (April 16th – 24th).  The National Park Foundation and National Park Service are encouraging people everywhere to come visit, get outdoors, and embrace a healthy lifestyle, while also embracing the importance of keeping our parks protected and preserved.  From ranger-led hikes and kayak trips to camping and volunteer events, park visitors can start planning their National Park Week FEE FREE adventures now at www.nationalparkweek.org.

Also, as we celebrate National Park Week, take the time to consider what it would be like without these iconic places – NO Yellowstone, NO Gettysburg, NO Grand Canyon. In the wake of the Federal Government nearly shutting down and our national parks closing, it is more evident than ever that our national parks need help from every individual. Show your support. Trails must be restored, invasive plant species need to be cleared, visitor centers must be repaired, and educational programs need updating. Give today and your contribution will be matched by NPF board member Jay I. Kislak, up to $50,000, making sure that the National Park Foundation can provide the necessary funding to the parks this year and into the future. Please help our parks.

As our thank you, come join our national park family on Facebook during National Park Week! As a fan of NPF you could win one of our DAILY National Park Week prizes including park passes, outdoor gear, and a trip to Shenandoah National Park! So don’t wait, join our national park Facebook family today!

For more information on National Park Week and a full listing of events including details on park-specific Earth Day events (April 22), Junior Ranger Day activities (April 23), and ways to lend a hand in local parks on Volunteer Day (April 16), please visit www.nationalparkweek.org.

The National Park Foundation is proud to recognize Aramark, Bank of America, Energizer, Peace Cereal and The North Face for their support of National Park Week.

You are the part-owner of 84 million acres of the world’s most treasured landscapes, ecosystems, and historical sites — all protected in America’s nearly 400 national parks. Chartered by Congress, the National Park Foundation is the official charity of America’s national parks. We work hand in hand with the National Park Service to help connect you and all Americans to the parks, and to make sure that they are preserved for the generations who will follow.

Join us — This Is Your Land. www.nationalparks.org

Beyond the Battlefields of the Civil War

On April 12, 1861 the siege of Fort Sumter by Confederate forces in Charleston Harbor, South Carolina ignited the conflict of civil war in America. Today, Fort Sumter National Monument and many significant battlefields – Antietam, Shiloh, Gettysburg, Vicksburg – are preserved by the National Park Service as witnesses to a conflict defined by a struggle over equality for all Americans. Often forgotten are the other places where history was made, places that open our imaginations to the stories beyond the front lines.

Our national parks invite you to discover more than battlefields as the 150th anniversary of the Civil War begins. Kingsley Plantation in Timucuan Ecological and Historical Reserve was home to Zephaniah Kingsley and his wife, Anna Madgigine Jai, who was from Senegal, West Africa and was purchased by Kingsley as a slave. She helped run the plantation, acquiring her own land and slaves after being freed in 1811. By the Civil War, Anna and her daughters' families supported the Union and were forced to flee from Florida to New York.

Another world away In the Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area stands Fort Warren which served as a recruiting and training camp for the Union Army and as a prisoner-of-war camp for over 750 Confederate prisoners. On May 28, 1865, Stephens described the initial impact of his imprisonment: “The horrors of imprisonment, close confinement, no one to see or talk to, with the reflection of being cut off for I know not how long and perhaps forever—from communication with dear ones at home, are beyond description. Words utterly fail to express the soul’s anguish…”

To find out more about the places where Civil War history was made, visit the National Park Service at www.nps.gov/civilwar. To explore more about the connections between the Civil War and the civil rights all American’s enjoy today, visit the African American Experience Fund of the National Park Foundation at www.aaexperience.org.

Mother’s Day is almost here… and we have the perfect gift, our national parks! Our friends at Macy’s are launching their Thank-a- Mom Movement on April 24th where you can send a special “thank you” to a mom you know – and $5 will be donated to NPF!  NPF could receive up to $400,000, but we need your help! 

Visit Macy’s Facebook page to send a “thank you” to a mom you know. You can send up to 10 thank you cards a day through email and Facebook. Be sure to select the National Park Foundation as your favorite “mom-approved” charity. For each card you send NPF will receive $5! 

Be sure not to wait!  Send your thank you cards early and often, starting Sunday, April 24th.  The national parks thank you… for thanking a mom!

For well over a decade, USAOPOLY has partnered with the National Park Foundation to create national park themed games in support of America’s National Parks. Since 1998, USAOPOLY has contributed over $200,000 to the National Park Foundation to help preserve these special places. The games give families a great way to spend time together, while learning fun facts about our national parks. The portfolio of games has included ones you’ve probably played since childhood, including National Parks Monopoly, National Parks Campfire Games (Tic-Tac-Toe and Checkers) and National Parks Yahtzee. The latest edition to the portfolio is the National Parks Memory game, which will be available this month. To find out where to purchase a game, go to www.usaopoly.com.

Energizer is working with the National Park Foundation to power the present and preserve the future. During National Park Week, Energizer will be at Grand Canyon National Park to showcase the responsible power Energizer products can provide and to kick-off a series of National Park Clean-Up events happening over the course of the spring and summer as Energizer celebrates our national parks. Learn more about the program and how you can help make a positive impact at www.nowthatspositivenergy.com.

Over the next four years, the National Park Foundation and National Park Service will be taking a close look at how our nation has been shaped and as a result of the American Civil War.  Many other partners will be joining NPF as we mark this important moment in our history, including the HISTORY channel which is launching a massive educational and fund-raising initiative titled “GIVE 150” to enhance Civil War education nationwide, and to protect and preserve battlefields and other key sites from this pivotal period in American history.  As part of this initiative, HISTORY will direct donations to the Civil War Trust and the National Park Foundation, so that an important and course-changing chapter in the story of our country can be kept alive in the consciousness of future generations. To show your support and to learn more visit www.give150.com. 

The 150th anniversary is being covered by the media widely, including here:

• “The Civil War”:  Before telling the stories of America’s national parks, Ken Burns’ documentary on the Civil War captivated viewers nationwide. Tune-in to your local PBS station as the network re-airs this powerful documentary. Check your local listings for dates and times.

• “The Conspirator”: Directed by Robert Redford, this film dives in to the captivating story of Mary Surratt, the lone woman charged with seven menfor conspiring to kill President Abraham Lincoln, the Vice President and the Secretary of State. The film opens in theaters April 15th. 

• “Civil Warriors”: Exploring four unique perspectives on the American Civil War, tune-in to the National Geographic Channel as they air this three-hour special beginning this week.

Are you the proud owner of a 2011 White House Easter Egg? If not, here are three reasons you should consider getting one of these delightful souvenir eggs:

1. The souvenir eggs are produced in limited quantity and make great collector’s items. The color and artwork – selected by the First Lady - are unique each year. Each egg also features the stamped signatures of the President and First Lady. 

2. The souvenir eggs are bright and cheerful and make beautiful Easter decorations and gifts. For example, they look great in glass bowls or as place settings at your Easter meal.

3. NPF’s souvenir egg sales help support the annual White House Easter Egg Roll, a free event held on the White House South Lawn for thousands of children and their families every year!

Be sure to get your 2011 White House Easter Eggs before they’re gone! 

Order today at easter.nationalparks.org or by calling toll-free 866-401-5079.

The National Park Foundation’s First Bloom program launches its second annual Garden Design Contest on April 15th. The First Bloom program teaches 4th – 6th graders nationwide about their national parks and the importance of conservation and stewardship through hands-on activities led by park rangers. Each First Bloom program culminates in the participants designing and planting a garden in their local park.

From April 15 through May 16, the garden designs from all twenty-four of the 2010 First Bloom programs will be on display at www.first-bloom.org where the public is invited to cast a vote for their favorites. These votes will determine the winning garden design AND enter all voters in a contest to win a national park prize of their very own!

In the coming months, all of the First Bloom groups will bring their design to life in their respective national parks. Updates and photos will be posted at www.first-bloom.org.