News Release
NPS Photo/Stan Ford
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Contact: Becky Latanich, 505-757-7210
Pecos, NM (June, 2018) – Thanks to a 2017-2018 school year field trip grant from the National Park Foundation, the official nonprofit partner of the National Park Service, Pecos National Historical Park welcomed 113 local kids to the park. The grant, titled “Creating Connections to the Ancestors: Northern New Mexico 4th Graders Discover their Past at Pecos”, enabled students to develop a deep understanding of park resources and the relevance of parks in their lives.Pecos NHP Superintendent Karl Cordova enthusiastically supported the outreach initiative noting that "Teaching local students about the historical importance of their community is an integral part of Pecos National Historical Park, where every participating student spends valuable time learning in the field with professional staff."
This grant, part of the Foundation’s Open OutDoors for Kids program, supports Every Kid in a Park.
“I can still remember the excitement of exploring my first national park as a kid and it made me want to discover more,” said National Park Foundation President Will Shafroth. “I’m thrilled that our National Park Foundation grants make it possible for hundreds of thousands of kids to experience the wonder of parks for the first time, sparking a lifelong love for national parks.”
The National Park Foundation grant enabled Pecos National Historical Park to send a ranger to each classroom five times, where students from Pecos Elementary and El Dorado Community School learned about a variety of biological, natural, and historical topics while working on projects in the classroom. The students then visited Pecos National Historical Park, became Junior Rangers, learned about the history of the site, and participated in fun educational activities with rangers and volunteers. Lunch was generously provided by the Friends of Pecos National Historical Park, while park staff and volunteers spent the whole day guiding and educating classes. A class photo is attached to this press release.
For the full list of grantees and their projects, click here.
ABOUT THE NATIONAL PARK FOUNDATION
The National Park Foundation is the official charity of America’s national parks and nonprofit partner to the National Park Service. Chartered by Congress in 1967, the National Park Foundation raises private funds to help PROTECT more than 84 million acres of national parks through critical conservation and preservation efforts, CONNECT all Americans with their incomparable natural landscapes, vibrant culture and rich history, and INSPIRE the next generation of park stewards. In 2016, commemorating the National Park Service’s 100th anniversary, the Foundation launched The Centennial Campaign for America’s National Parks, a comprehensive fundraising campaign to strengthen and enhance the future of these national treasures for the next hundred years. Find out more and become a part of the national park community at www.nationalparks.org.
Last updated: June 13, 2018