National Park Service & National Park Foundation News Release
For Immediate Release: August 8, 2012
Contacts: NPS– Kathy Kupper, 
202-208-6843, Kathy_Kupper@nps.gov
NPF- Marjorie Hall, 202-354-6460, mhall@nationalparks.org
We’re Turning 96!
National Park Service Birthday Celebration Set for August 25
WASHINGTON: It’s our birthday and we hope you’ll visit a national park and help us celebrate! On August 25, theNational Park Service turns 96 years old and we are inviting everyone, especially children, to join in the festivitiestaking place coast-to-coast. If you want to share birthday wishes or stories, pictures, or video from your trip to a park, our friends at the National Park Foundation have created a birthday website www.NPSbirthday.org to get the celebration going!
“National parks belong to all Americans and we invite everyone to join us on this special day,” said National Park Service Director Jonathan B. Jarvis. “There are hundreds of events planned. Take the kids on a snorkel adventure, bike ride, kayak tour, hike, or archeological dig. See a blacksmith demo, living history encampment, or Native American concert. Or join me and thousands of children at Rocky Mountain National Park’s big BioBlitz.”
The 6th annual BioBlitz, presented by the National Park Service and National Geographic, is a 24-hour event where teams of volunteer scientists, families, students, teachers, and others explore the park and identify species of plants, animals, microbes, fungi, and other organisms. Kids can go on discovery expeditions, take fun, hands-on “classes” at the Biodiversity University, and enjoy music, live animals, and science demonstrations at the Biodiversity Festival.
“Like so many park lovers, the National Park Foundation is grateful to the National Park Service for the exceptional work they do every day to protect and preserve our country’s 397 national parks,” said Neil Mulholland, President and CEO. “This month we are excited to celebrate their 96th birthday and extend our thanks to them.”
You can choose the park you would like to visit by location or by event at www.nps.gov. If you can’t make it to a park for the big day, remember the mission of the National Park Service extends beyond park boundaries into communities across the country. NPS works with partners to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities that revitalize neighborhoods and enhance the quality of life. Go towww.nps.gov/communities/states.htm to see what we do in your community.
About the National Park Service. More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America’s 397 national parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Learn more at www.nps.gov.
About the National Park Foundation. You are the owner of 84 million acres of the world’s most treasured memorials, 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 in supporting your national parks — this is your land.www.nationalparks.org
