NEW YORK, NY – On Thursday, April 2, U.S. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewel will join National Park Service Director Jonathan B. Jarvis, National Park Foundation Interim President Dan Wenk and actress Bella Thorne to kick off a nationwide campaign to encourage people to learn more about and connect with our nation's 407 national parks in advance of next year's centennial anniversary of the National Park Service.
Earlier this week, the National Park Service and the National Park Foundation announced the launch of Find Your Park , a public awareness and education campaign celebrating the milestone centennial anniversary of the National Park Service in 2016 and setting the stage for the next 100 years. First Lady Michelle Obama and Mrs. Laura Bush will serve as honorary co-chairs to promote the celebration of the 2016 centennial and to encourage people to connect with their favorite parks and public lands.
Thursday's event in New York City's Flatiron District will feature a one-of-a-kind interactive display that links people to parks across the country and invites them to share their stories about their favorite parks and other public lands.
Find Your Park invites the public to see that a national park is more than just a place -- it can be a feeling, a state of mind, or a sense of American pride. Beyond vast landscapes, the campaign highlights historical, urban, and cultural parks, as well as National Park Service programs that protect, preserve and share nature, culture, and history in communities nationwide. Further, Find Your Park encourages people to find their own personal connections within the network of national parks and public lands.
The campaign to connect national parks with the next generation comes at a critical time. According to a study conducted by Hall & Partners on behalf of the National Park Foundation, while approximately 80% of Americans have heard of the National Park Service, only 38% are at all familiar with the organization and all that it does.
Who: Sally Jewell, Secretary of the Interior
Jonathan Jarvis, Director, National Park Service
Bella Thorne, Actress
Dan Wenk, Interim President, National Park Foundation
What: Kickoff event for #FindYourPark Campaign
When: Thursday April 2, 2015
12:00pm: Photographer Arrival
12:30pm: Photo and Interview Opportunities
1:30pm: Opening remarks from Secretary Jewell, Director Jarvis,Bella Thorne
Where: The North Flatiron Plaza on 23rd Street, directly in front of Madison Square Park, dividing 5th Ave and Broadway
Media: Credentialed members of the media are encouraged to RSVP Here.
Source: Department of Interior
