Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park Awarded Active Trails Grant

Date: May 26, 2011
Contact: Laura Williams, Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park, [phone]
Contact: Alanna Sobel, National Park Foundation, [phone]

Thirteen national parks receive grants from the National Park Foundation to support interactive and engaging projects that will strengthen Americans' connection with their national parks

Hawai`i National Park, HI (May 26, 2011) – The National Park Foundation announced that it is proud to award Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park a grant to support the launch of Digital Mountain: It's My Trail Film Festival, an innovative project for students in grades 7 – 12 to make a film about the trails in their National Park. The grant is part of the National Park Foundation's Active Trails program that uses national parks as a venue for community engagement and promotes healthy lifestyles through various forms of recreation and volunteer service on land and water trails.

"It is an honor to receive the Active Trails grant," said Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park Superintendent Cindy Orlando. "This exciting opportunity gives us another way to engage local youth in being active with their families on the trails in Hawai`i Volcanoes, and the grant allows us to offer great prizes, including computers and cameras, to the young filmmakers," she said.

Digital Mountain: It's My Trail Film Festival is a dynamic endeavor for seventh through twelfth graders. Students will participate in trail maintenance projects with their families and make a film illustrating why the park and the trails are important to them.

Students and teachers interested in learning more can contact Laura Williams at [phone] or by clicking the Laura Williams email link above. The project begins Aug. 1, 2011 and culminates with a gala event showcasing the films at Kīlauea Visitor Center Oct. 29, at 6 p.m. The films will also be available for viewing on YouTube.

"With these grants, we're actively encouraging Americans to personally connect with their national parks through fun and engaging activities that not only promote a healthy lifestyle, but also help protect and preserve some of the most treasured places on earth for generations to come," said Neil Mulholland, President and CEO of the National Park Foundation.

The National Park Foundation, in partnership with the Coca-Cola Foundation, awarded Active Trails grants to 13 national parks across the country.

A full list of grantees and project descriptions will be available on the National Park Foundation website.

ABOUT HAWAI`I VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK
Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park displays the results of 70 million years of volcanism, migration, and evolution -- processes that thrust a bare land from the sea and clothed it with unique ecosystems, and a distinct human culture. The park highlights two of the world's most active volcanoes, and offers insights on the birth of the Hawaiian Islands and views of dramatic volcanic landscapes.

ABOUT THE NATIONAL PARK FOUNDATION
You are the owner of 84 million acres of the world's most treasured landscapes, ecosystems, and historic 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 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
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