The Coca-Cola Company has awarded Grand Teton National Park Foundation $25,000 to support ten weeks of trail repair and historic site maintenance in Grand Teton National Park through the Youth Conservation Program, a privately funded summer work-and-learn opportunity for 16 to 19-year-olds that operates each summer. The program began in June with twenty-two participants who are accomplishing hands-on work in the park in exchange for a unique education and outdoor adventure. The Coca-Cola Company offers competitive grants that focus on active, healthy living and programs that connect youth to the outdoors. Funding will be used to advance this ongoing program that is currently in its seventh season.
“This is the second year Coca-Cola has partnered with the Foundation to bring students into nature to enjoy unique experiences,” Foundation President Leslie Mattson said. “There’s a national movement to encourage young people to be active outdoors, and Coca-Cola has a long history of funding community outdoor programs and projects in national parks. This partnership not only provides the resources we need to keep our youth trail crew working in the park, but our story reaches a wider audience and that’s how great ideas grow.”
Nearly 120 students have participated in Youth Conservation Program since it started in 2006. What began as a small community experiment with thirteen teens has grown into a popular outdoor institution that attracts applicants from across the country. The teen crew fills a unique niche in the park as it tackles trail-related projects and other needs, and mentors teach job skills, introduce National Park Service jobs, and help participants develop a conservation ethic.
“Coca-Cola has a longstanding commitment to environmental sustainability and encouraging active, healthy lifestyles,” said Quinton Martin, vice president of community marketing, Coca-Cola North America. “Students that participate in the Grand Teton National Park Foundation’s Youth Conservation Program spend their summers learning about the importance of conservation and building life-long habits through outdoor activities and adventures.”
Not only does the program creatively solve challenges in Grand Teton, it is part of a long-term strategy to introduce a younger audience to the park and outdoor recreation. Youth Conservation Program is privately funded by Foundation donors and has contributed more than 48,000 hours to Grand Teton National Park to accomplish projects that would not be completed otherwise.
To learn more about Grand Teton National Park Foundation and Youth Conservation Program, visit www.gtnpf.org or follow the organization’s daily updates at www.twitter.com/GrandTetonFdn
and www.facebook/gtnpf.
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
TravelStorysGPS Launches Innovative Smartphone App That Connects People to Land with Engaging Audio Stories and Promotes Outreach and Funding for Conservation
JACKSON, Wyoming (August 17, 2012) – TravelStorysGPS, an innovative iPhone® and iPad® application, is being released today by conservation finance expert, Story Clark of locally-based Conservation Consulting, and nonprofit partners Grand Teton National Park Foundation and the Jackson Hole Land Trust. The first of its kind, this multi-media, GPS-triggered app connects travelers to the landscapes around them in real time and raises money for land conservation via mobile giving.
Available for free on the App StoreSM, TravelStorysGPS shares educational and entertaining stories on four StoryChannels: History and Community, Geography and Landscape, Fun for Kids and Public Access. Locals and visitors alike can use the app to connect to the landscapes around them by listening to local legends, interesting facts, little-known narratives, and colorful local history across the generations. Amid the narratives of Jackson Hole’s human history and natural environment, the rich story of the valley’s conservation legacy is also told. The Public Access StoryChannel taps into the community’s love of storytelling, encouraging users to share their own personal experiences along designated routes. Photos, graphics, maps, and links to additional resources on the TravelStorysGPS website create a multimedia user experience alongside the audio stories.
TravelStorysGPS is launching with two pilot routes, both based in Jackson Hole: Wyoming State Highway 22 between the town of Jackson and the Idaho state line is presented by the Jackson Hole Land Trust, and the Teton Park Road in Grand Teton National Park, between Moose and Jackson Lake Lodge, is presented by Grand Teton National Park Foundation. Along each route, users are invited to make a donation to the nonprofit organization working to protect the scenic views they are enjoying, through partnership with Mobile Giving Foundation and Give by Cell. This gift is conveniently charged on the user’s next phone bill. Leslie A. Mattson, president of Grand Teton National Park Foundation, stated, "As an organization that works to support the park, we are very excited to test this new way to reach out to visitors and teach them about this magnificent place as they drive through."
“Each stretch of highway, each parcel of land, has a unique story. We hope that, using new mobile phone app technology, TravelStorysGPS app tours will brings these stories to life along the roads of Jackson Hole, and, close to my heart, share the stories of the generous, and often dramatic, acts of land conservation in our valley,” said Story Clark, who developed the app. “Even for locals who drive these routes daily, many of the stories will be new and will strengthen our connection to and love of the spectacular land around us.”
“Director Jon Jarvis has outlined a vision for the National Park Service that seeks to make our agency relevant in the 21st century,” stated Grand Teton National Park Superintendent Mary Gibson Scott. “The new app produced by Grand Teton National Park Foundation, Jackson Hole Land Trust and Conservation Consulting meets one of the many action items identified in this key NPS initiative: to reach new audiences and develop a conversation through mobile technology and other user-friendly social media." Superintendent Scott added, "We applaud these conservation organizations for their innovative app that serves up a mix of park facts with personal stories and shares the fascinating story of Grand Teton National Park and its enduring impact on people’s lives."
Echoing those sentiments, Jackson Hole Land Trust’s Executive Director Laurie Andrews said, “TravelStorysGPS is a wonderful tool to connect travelers and locals alike with the work that we do to protect the valley’s scenic view sheds, wildlife habitat, and working agricultural lands. We hope that seeing our conservation successes along Highway 22 first-hand will inspire them to play a part in land conservation in our valley.”
Conservation Consulting plans to partner with conservation organizations around the country to help them create their own TravelStorys tours and content. This partnership approach will enable TravelStorysGPS to expand its offered travel routes across the United States and continue to connect people to the land and to its conservation through the power of story. TravelStorysGPS users will receive notifications of updated content and new StoryRoute offerings as they become available.
To download the free app, visit the App Store here (http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/travelstorysgps/id543710299?ls=1&mt=8).
The TravelStorysGPS team welcomes your feedback at feedback@travelstorysgps.com. For more information, visit www.TravelStorysGPS.com.
About Jackson Hole Land Trust
The Jackson Hole Land Trust is a private, non-profit organization that was established in 1980 to preserve open space and the critical wildlife habitat, magnificent scenic vistas, and historic ranching heritage of Jackson Hole. By working cooperatively with the owners of the area’s privately owned open lands, the Jackson Hole Land Trust has ensured the permanent protection of over 22,000 acres in and around Jackson Hole and the Greater Yellowstone Area. For more information please visit www.jhlandtrust.org.
About Grand Teton National Park Foundation
Grand Teton National Park Foundation is a private, nonprofit organization whose mission is to fund projects that protect and enhance Grand Teton National Park’s treasured resources. By funding initiatives that go beyond what the NPS could accomplish on its own, the Foundation initiates improvements, critical research, and projects that enhance visitors’ experiences, creating a solid future for Grand Teton. To learn more about Grand Teton National Park Foundation, visit www.gtnpf.org or follow the organization’s daily updates at www.twitter.com/GrandTetonFdn and www.facebook/gtnpf.
About Conservation Consulting
Conservation Consulting is a small, national consulting firm based in Wilson, Wyoming, that works with land conservation organizations to identify and develop innovative markets and sources of funding for land protection and stewardship.
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