Explore This Subject

• Understanding & Managing Bears
  • Conservation Grants

Help Fund Conservation Projects in Parks

The National Park Foundation, the official charity of America’s national parks and nonprofit partner to the National Park Service, has teamed with Disneynature on the new “Bears” film premiering just in time for Earth Day and National Park Week on Friday, April 18, 2014. For every ticket sold during opening week of “Bears,” April 18–24, and each Blu-ray or Digital purchase of the film through August 19, 2014, Disneynature will make a contribution to the National Park Foundation to support conservation efforts in our national parks focused on wildlife protection, habitat restoration, and conservation research and education.

Funds raised will support special projects like the following:

Funds can help protect wetlands at Great Smoky Mountains from invasive species.

NPS Photo

Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Wetlands are uncommon in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, yet provide critical habitat for diverse native plants and animals, some found nowhere else in the park. Bears, bobcats, foxes, birds, amphibians, and fish call wetlands home, but these habitats are severely impacted by invasive plant species. This project will allow for invasive plant removal, seed collection, propagation and planting of native species, and educational outreach.

Researchers will study black bear movement and habitat use in Bryce Canyon.

NPS Photo

Bryce Canyon National Park

This project will examine black bear movement and habitat use in and surrounding Bryce Canyon National Park by radio-collaring black bears. The park will also develop educational outreach programs for real-time interpretation of black bear movement and conservation challenges as well as curricula for schools.

Researchers will identify critical habitat for the yellow-legged frog in Yosemite.

USGS Photo / Devin Edmonds

Yosemite National Park

The Sierra Nevada yellow-legged frog (Rana sierrae) was once the most abundant vertebrate in the mountains of California, but steep population declines during the past century have pushed this species to the brink of extinction. The park will tag and radio-track frogs to identify critical habitats and movement corridors. These efforts will improve the effectiveness of conservation actions undertaken to recover this frog.