WESTERN NATIONAL PARKS ASSOCIATION
12880 NORTH VISTOSO VILLAGE DRIVE, TUCSON, AZ 85755 www.wnpa.org

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Organizations Filed Purposes: IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE SINCE 1938, WESTERN NATIONAL PARKS ASSOCIATION ADVANCES EDUCATION, INTERPRETATION, RESEARCH, AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT TO ENSURE NATIONAL PARKS ARE INCREASINGLY VALUED BY EVERYONE.

ADVANCES EDUCATION, INTERPRETATION, RESEARCH AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT OF NATIONAL PARKS.

INTERPRETIVE AND EDUCATION SERVICES: WNPA PLAYS A SIGNIFICANT ROLE IN FURTHERING THE CONNECTION PEOPLE HAVE TO PARKS. WNPA PARTNERS WITH THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE TO SUPPORT ITS MISSION AND ENHANCE THE VISITOR EXPERIENCE, UNDERSTANDING, AND APPRECIATION OF NATIONAL PARKS THROUGH THE DISCOVERY OF RELEVANT PRODUCTS, PROGRAMS, AND SERVICES. WNPA OPERATES MORE THAN 80 PARK STORES IN VISITOR CENTERS AT MORE THAN 70 NATIONAL PARK SERVICE UNITS ACROSS 12 WESTERN STATES, OFFERING THOUSANDS OF INTERPRETIVE AND EDUCATIONAL BOOKS AND OTHER PRODUCTS. THESE BOOKS AND PRODUCTS PROVIDE MEANINGFUL AND LONG-TERM CONNECTIONS TO THE PARKS. WNPA HAS BEEN PUBLISHING BOOKS SINCE 1938 AND CREATING PRODUCTS FOR MANY YEARS. MORE THAN 200 PUBLICATIONS ARE CURRENTLY IN PRINT, WITH MANY AWARD WINNERS AMONG THEM. NEW BOOKS ARE PUBLISHED ANNUALLY, INCLUDING PARK-RELEVANT EDUCATIONAL PUBLICATIONS. WNPA ALSO PUBLISHES JUNIOR RANGER BOOKLETS FOR PARK VISITORS AVAILABLE AT NO CHARGE. AT THE NATIONAL PARKS STORE IN TUCSON, ARIZONA, WNPA HOSTS ART SHOWS WITH SPEAKERS, CULTURAL DEMONSTRATIONS AND OTHER EVENTS IN AN EFFORT TO INTRODUCE PEOPLE TO THE NATURE, CULTURE, AND HISTORY WITHIN PARKS AND THE REGIONS IN WHICH THEY EXIST. SIMILAR EVENTS ARE HOSTED AT NATIONAL PARKS IN WNPA'S SERVICE AREA.

COMMUNITY PROGRAMS: AT ITS HEADQUARTERS IN TUCSON, AZ, WNPA HOSTS FREE WEEKLY EDUCATIONAL PRESENTATIONS. GENERALLY OVER 4,000 VISITORS ATTEND OVER 160 PROGRAMS PER YEAR. THE ASSOCIATION'S MAJOR OUTREACH EVENT OF THE YEAR IS THE SPONSORSHIP OF A NATIONAL PARKS PAVILION AT THE TUCSON FESTIVAL OF BOOKS (TFOB). THE PAVILION PROVIDED THE OPPORTUNITY FOR OVER 20 NATIONAL PARKS FROM THE WESTERN UNITED STATES TO CONNECT WITH OVER 140,000 FESTIVAL ATTENDEES IN 2019. IN CONJUCTION WITH THE FESTIVAL OF BOOKS, WNPA HOSTED AN ESSAY CONTEST ON THE TOPIC OF CLIMATE CHANGE IN NATIONAL PARKS FOR LOCAL HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS. IN ADDITION TO TFOB, VOLUNTEERS AND STAFF PARTICIPATE IN COMMUNITY OUTREACH EVENTS INCLUDING TUCSON MEET YOURSELF AND THE AZ NATIONAL PARKS FESTIVAL. WNPA GENERALLY PROVIDS FUNDING FOR YOUTH ORGANIZATIONS WITH SIMILAR MISSIONS INCLUDING PARKS IN FOCUS, A PROGRAM THAT CONNECTS MIDDLE SCHOOL YOUTH TO NATURE THROUGH PHOTOGRAPHY, ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION, OUTDOOR RECREATION, AND CREATIVE EXPRESSION AND IRONWOOD TREE EXPERIENCE, A PROGRAM THAT MAKES IT POSSIBLE FOR YOUNG PEOPLE TO ENGAGE WITH THE NATURAL WORLD AND BE STEWARDS OF THE ENVIRONMENT IN ORDER TO CREATE HEALTHY AND RESILIENT COMMUNITIES.

GRANTS AND DONATIONS TO PARK PARTNERS: WNPA GENERALLY PROVIDES NEARLY $8 MILLION IN SUPPORT STAFF, PROGRAM FUNDING, AND OVER $50,000 IN RESEARCH GRANTS TO MORE THAN 70 PARTNER PARKS ACROSS 12 WESTERN STATES BUT THIS LEVEL OF SUPPORT WAS DIMINISHED IN 2020 DUE TO THE GLOBAL COVID-19 PANDEMIC. GENERALLY, AN ESTIMATED 300,000 VISITORS ENJOY EDUCATIONAL AND ENGAGING EXPERIENCES SUPPORTED BY WNPA SUCH AS IN PRIOR YEARS: THE CELEBRATION AT GOLDEN SPIKE NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK IN HONOR OF THE 150TH ANNIVERSARY OF DRIVING THE FINAL GOLDEN SPIKE TO COMPLETE THE TRANSCONTINENTAL RAILROAD IN PROMONTORY SUMMIT, UTAH. TRADITIONAL POTTERY-MAKING DEMONSTRATIONS AND STORYTELLING AT BANDELIER NATIONAL MONUMENT IN LOS ALAMOS, NEW MEXICO. LIVING HISTORY REENACTMENTS FEATURING FRONTIER MOUNTED CAVALRY SOLDIERS AT FORT DAVIS NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE IN FORT DAVIS, TEXAS. DARK SKY PRESENTATIONS AND TELESCOPES AT THE ANNUAL ASTRONOMY FESTIVAL AT GREAT BASIN NATIONAL PARK IN BAKER, NEVADA. DEMONSTRATIONS OF THE SAME TECHNIQUES ONCE PRACTICED BY AMERICAN INDIANS HUNDREDS OF YEARS AGO DURING FLINT FEST AT ALIBATES FLINT QUARRIES NATIONAL MONUMENT IN FRITCH, TEXAS, AND MUCH MORE. THE RESEARCH GRANTS GIVEN ARE USED TO SUPPORT A WIDE RANGE OF RESEARCH PROJECTS THAT HELP CREATE A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THE PARKS, INCLUDING THE NATURAL RESOURCES; THE CULTURE AND HERITAGE OF THE PEOPLE WHO ONCE LIVED THERE; AND MUCH MORE. SINCE INCEPTION, WNPA HAS PROVIDED MORE THAN $2 MILLION FOR RESEARCH IN PARKS.

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