Celebrating Essential Contributions to Our National Parks

This month, National Parks Traveler - a website dedicated to coverage of America’s National Park System and Park Service - published a special edition magazine highlighting the efforts of park friends groups around the country. The magazine, titled Essential Friends, highlights eight national parks in its first issue. These include Acadia National Park in Maine, Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, and Glacier National Park in Montana.

Our national parks are widely regarded as “America’s Best Idea.” Our parks preserve the most special places in the nation so that they can be enjoyed by people of all backgrounds, both now and in the future. The Sierra Club has long fought to protect these unique places, and today we continue our efforts to support and expand our national park system. Though our parks face increased threats from budget cuts, oil and gas drilling, mining, and climate change, the Sierra Club remains firm in its mission to safeguard this essential part of American heritage.

Our public parks rely greatly on the hard work and dedication of their grassroots volunteers.  As federal funding for the National Parks has dwindled, people like you and organizations like friends groups have stepped up to help fill the gap. Learn more about what other groups are doing—from exhibits, to trail maintenance, to public programming, in Essential Friends.