A Personal Note from Neil Mulholland

May is a wonderful time to get out and experience our national parks. May also marks another important occasion – Memorial Day. From the USS Arizona Memorial in Hawai’i to the Wright Brothers National Memorial in North Carolina, our nation is dotted with historical treasures honoring our highest ideals, and well as our greatest sacrifices.

It is in this spirit that I would like to mention one very special national park unit – the Flight 93 National Memorial. I am very excited to announce that the Richard King Mellon Foundation has decided to match every dollar donated to the Memorial up to $1million!  Donate today and double your gift!

Not unlike other memorials we cherish, the Flight 93 National Memorial is sacred ground – the final resting place of 40 brave souls that made the ultimate sacrifice for our nation. The passengers and crew of United Flight 93 saved our nation's capital and countless lives on September 11, 2001, heroically fighting their hijackers before their plane crashed into a field outside of Shanksville, Pennsylvania.

America has a tradition of honoring its greatest heroes in national parks, places as diverse as Valley Forge or Little Rock’s Central High School.  Flight 93 will be no different.  However, ten years after this terrible tragedy, while memorials in New York and at the Pentagon are fully funded, the Flight 93 National Memorial stands at risk.

We need your help.  Please give today and have it matched – doubling your support.  Together, we can guarantee that the heroes of Flight 93, and their story, may never be forgotten.

Neil Mulholland
President & CEO

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. Founded 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

Your Dollars at Work: Transportation Scholars

Americans are experiencing their national parks like never before. This welcome increase in visitation translates into a growing transportation issue within the parks. The Foundation’s Transportation Scholars program, which began in 2001, pairs parks with transportation professionals who help develop sustainable alternative transportation systems in order to reduce congestion in parks.

This year, Transportation Scholars will be placed in five parks—Harper’s Ferry National Historical Park, National Capital Region, North Cascades National Park, Arches National Park, and New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park.  The Scholars will undertake projects ranging from traffic management studies to planning for expanded in-park public transportation systems. 

The Transportation Scholars program is done in partnership with the National Park Service, Eno Transportation Foundation, Federal Highway Administration, the Motorola Foundation, and the Paul S. Sarbanes Transit in Parks Technical Assistance Center.

To learn more and support programs like this click here.

USA TODAY, has always provided great coverage of America’s national parks. Now, USA TODAY is supporting them in two new and exciting ways.

USA TODAY has published a special edition commemorating the 150th anniversary of the Civil War. In partnership with the National Park Foundation, USA TODAY is donating $1 per Civil War special edition sold online. Click here to order, and raise $1 per copy for NPF! And don’t forget to enter promo code NPCW150 so that your order is tracked.  It’s that simple! Copies will also be available in select park stores later this month.

“We are thrilled to have the opportunity to work with the National Park Foundation to help publicize the Civil War Sesquicentennial while giving back to America’s national parks, many of which tell the stories of the Civil War and commemorate key historical events that took place during the war,” says Tom Kelly, Vice President of circulation sales at USA TODAY.

Additionally, as part of USA TODAY's commitment to a sustainable future, they are making a donation to the Flight 93 National Memorial for every subscriber who enrolls in EZ-PAY, USA TODAY’s paperless billing program. These donations will be used to plant trees in the Flight 93 National Memorial in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. Click here for more information on this program.

Calling all nature lovers and amateur photographers! Our annual Share the Experience photo contest, which kicks off on June 1st, is a chance for anyone and everyone to capture their favorite views and moments in the parks and share them with the world. Maybe this is the first time you’ve picked up a camera; maybe photography is a long time hobby – maybe you fall somewhere in between. Regardless, you are part-owner of America’s most scenic vistas, sweeping landscapes, and historic gems, and we want to see these amazing places through your eyes.  

There are 14 chances to win and the grand prize winning photo will be featured on the 2013 America the Beautiful Federal Recreation Lands Pass! New for this year, anyone ages 13 and older can enter and you can submit any photos taken between January 1, 2010 and December 31, 2011.

So get outside into America’s national parks and submit your favorite shots with us at www.sharetheexperience.org!

As part of their “now that’s positivenergy” campaign, Energizer has partnered with NPF to help preserve America’s treasured landscapes by encouraging millions of park visitors to be more responsible when “powering up” at their national parks.

Last month, and in celebration of National Park Week, Energizer officially kicked off the campaign with a park clean-up event at the spectacular Grand Canyon. But it doesn’t stop there, during the months of May and June, Energizer will host six more volunteer events at national parks across the country!

To learn more about how Energizer is helping to preserve the parks and how you can participate in one of the volunteer events, click here.

In April, our nation celebrated the best week of the year – National Park Week! From April 16th to the 24th, our nearly 400 national parks celebrated across the country, inspiring visitors everywhere to visit for FREE, and experience the beauty, majesty and cultural history of our national park system.

As part of the week, the National Park Service and National Park Foundation teamed up to promote the theme, “Healthy Parks, Healthy People.” Together, Americans everywhere were encouraged to come visit, get outdoors, and embrace a healthy lifestyle, while also embracing the importance of keeping our parks protected and preserved. 

Elsewhere, NPF celebrated its 35,000 supporter to its Facebook community during National Park Week. There park enthusiasts received daily tips on Park Week activities, special events, and won daily prizes ranging from the annual park pass to a free trip to Shenandoah National Park, in our “I Heart Parks” sweepstakes!

We hope everyone enjoyed National Park Week 2011. And stay tuned…our next fee FREE day in the national parks is June 21st – the first day of summer!

The evening paid tribute to Alabama based civil rights attorney Fred Gray, a living legend whose work includes representing Martin Luther King, Jr., Rosa Parks and the Tuskegee Airmen. Also honored were Dr. Frank Smith, the leading force behind the creation of the African American Civil War Memorial, located in the District of Columbia and The Walt Disney Company, AAEF’s largest corporate donor.

During his keynote address, US Representative John Lewis (D - GA), poignantly reflected on moments during the 1950’s and 60’s that led him to join Fred Gray, and many others, on the civil rights trail—from the Montgomery Bus Boycott in 1956, to the historic “Bloody Sunday” March from Selma to Montgomery in 1965. Both were received with standing ovations.

The event raised $180,000 in support of the work of the African American Experience Fund. Since it was established in 2001, AAEF has provided more than $1.3 million in grant support to help preserve and promote national historic sites that tell the legendary stories of African American history and culture throughout our national parks.

To learn more about the work of AAEF visit www.aaexperience.org.

Just a few more days left before NPF’s White House Easter Egg sales close for the year! Don’t miss your chance to get the 2011 White House Easter Egg, a limited-quantity collector’s item. Order now at easter.nationalparks.org or by calling 866.401.5079.

The souvenir eggs, available in four unique colors and featuring the stamped signatures of the President and First Lady, make unique and cheerful Easter gifts and decorations. Even better, 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!

The White House Easter Eggs are made in the U.S. from FSC-certified hardwood.

All this year, The North Face will donate $1 to the National Park Foundation for every individual who “checks in” using Facebook Places at one of America’s nearly 400 national parks or at one of the many North Face retail locations across the country! This exciting partnership aims to get more people outside while also giving back to America’s national parks and will result in a donation of up to $150,000 to NPF! So this summer, don’t forget to "check in" while you’re out!

When you connect with the National Park Foundation on Facebook and Twitter, you have access to the most up-to-the-minute NPF and national park news, not to mention tons of opportunities to win free prizes! Last month our fans got the latest park travel tips, a behind the scenes look at the annual White House Easter Egg Roll as well as daily chances to win prizes in our National Park Week “I Heart Parks” Sweepstakes!

Join us online today and see what you're missing!