NatureBridge Chosen By National Park Trust And National Park Service As A 2023 Challenge Cost Share Awardee
The National Park Trust, in partnership with the National Park Service (NPS), announced recently $375,100 to fund 18 education and outdoor recreation projects through the 2023 NPS Challenge Cost Share Program. Each project connects a local community to a nearby national park, national trail, or wild and scenic river. This year’s group of awardees will engage more than 8,600 participants in active, healthy outdoor recreation and in education initiatives that increase knowledge about our nation’s natural and cultural heritage.
NatureBridge received a $20,000 award to support our overnight environmental science educational programs in the Marin Headlands, expanding our reach to Point Bonita to engage more students in partnership with the Golden Gate National Recreation Area.
We are so honored to be an awardee of the Challenge Cost Share program administered by the National Park Service in partnership with National Park Trust. NatureBridge has a 50+ year partnership with the National Park Service, which has allowed us to serve over 1.5 million students around the country. We hope to continue this collaboration in the Marin Headlands in order to connect young people to the wonder and science of the natural world, as well as ignite a sense of self-discovery and stewardship of the planet.PaHoua Lee, Golden Gate Campus Director, NatureBridge
“National Park Trust is thrilled to once again partner with the National Park Service and community partners across the country to connect people of all backgrounds and abilities to national parks while engaging the newest generation of outdoor enthusiasts and stewards,” said Grace Lee, executive director of National Park Trust. “The Challenge Cost Share program is a terrific example of an initiative that leverages public and private funds to invest in communities to create sustainable partnerships that benefit parks and people.”
“We appreciate the work of local partner organizations across the nation, who are using their resources and skills to support conservation, recreation and education projects that are meaningful and impactful to their communities,” said Lauren S. Imgrund, NPS associate director for Partnerships and Civic Engagement.
ABOUT NATIONAL PARK TRUST
Celebrating its 40th anniversary in 2023, National Park Trust’s mission is to preserve parks today and create park stewards for tomorrow. Since 1983, the Park Trust has acquired many of the missing pieces of our national parks, benefiting 52 national park sites. Our national youth education and family initiatives, including our Buddy Bison Programs and National Kids to Parks Day, serve hundreds of Title I schools annually and cultivate future park stewards. We believe that our public parks, lands and waters should be cared for, enjoyed by, and preserved by all for current and future generations. Find out more at parktrust.org.
ABOUT THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America's 424 national parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Learn more at nps.gov, and on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube.
Stories
In Memory of Ty Cobb: A Visionary Leader of Resilience and Impact
Ty Cobb, former CEO of Yosemite National Institutes (now NatureBridge), passed away on Saturday, December 7, 2024 in Reno at the age of 84. Known for his visionary leadership, resilience, and ability to inspire collaboration, Ty guided YNI through some of its most difficult moments while building a foundation for its future growth and success.
WildLink November 2024: Woodlake High School
This November, Woodlake High School students and chaperones arrived in Yosemite for their first year as a WildLink school, and we are so excited to have them on the team! That means that the brave students who signed up for this expedition had virtually no idea what to expect before signing up for the trip, because none of their peers had experienced it before them! The week, although quite frigid, was full of lovely views, learning about Wilderness, spending lots of time by the river, and enjoying the beauty of Yosemite Valley and Wilderness. Their educators Sarah and Amelia were excited to help this group feel a sense of belonging in this place. They were also lucky enough to be joined by Ranger Lissie on their first day in the Wilderness!
Fall Reflections from NatureBridge Yosemite
As an environmental science educator, I spend a lot of time teaching about nature, but this season I’ve been finding that as it turns out, nature has a lot to teach us, too. Sometimes I can let the trees, the meadow, and the lichen teach for me. They show us how to respect each other’s boundaries, how to celebrate differences, how to work together, and how to lean on each other’s strengths in order to exist in a new place. These lessons felt incredibly relevant to me heading into the first week of November, a notoriously busy time at NatureBridge Yosemite. I wanted to focus on messages of kindness and inclusivity with my students, I wanted them to feel a sense of belonging in this new space, and I also hoped that they would share those messages with others.