*FREE* Gift in August NPT News

• Buddy Bison Student Brings a Park to Baltimore
• NPT Adds 7 New Schools to Buddy Bison Program
• National Park Service Turns 96!
• Pitch a Tent at one of our Nation's Coolest Campsites
• Summer Special: Free Gift with Buddy Bison!

Click here to hear Lloyd's speech

Buddy Bison Student Brings a Park to Baltimore

Former Buddy Bison student Lloyd, a recent graduate of St. Ignatius Loyola Academy in Baltimore, MD, has given his community an irreplaceable gift. Nearly two years ago, Lloyd along with Timothy Bridges, vice president of the Fayette Street Outreach Organization led the initiative to renovate a city park in Baltimore. With a new-found appreciation for the importance of parks and having a safe place to play, Lloyd worked with local officials to advocate for extensive renovations to the park.

"This park was a wreck. I talked to the older residents and they told me what it looked like before. People used to be able to play here. Now, it is a great place to play and be with friends. The many trips that National Park Trust provided for me and my classmates inspired me to work on this new park that benefits everyone in my neighborhood," said Lloyd.
 
The renovations were completed in July and a dedication ceremony was held to celebrate Lloyd's efforts. A new basketball court, playground equipment, walking paths and trees are now there for the entire community to enjoy.

"National Park Trust helped give our community a snapshot of how to get people engaged and motivated about parks in their neighborhoods," Timothy Bridges, vice president, Fayette Street Outreach Organization.

Lloyd and Baltimore City Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake	Warwick Street Park

This fall, NPT will add 7 new school partners to the Where's Buddy Bison Been?® program. The program, which is now entering its fourth year, has been recognized by Department of the Interior Secretary Ken Salazar's Youth in the Great Outdoors office and First Lady Michelle Obama's Let's Move! initiative and grew out of a need to encourage young people to visit America's parks.

NPT has expanded the program significantly over the past three years and with the addition of 7 new school partners, NPT anticipates impacting close to 10,000 kids (37 schools in 14 states and Washington, DC) in the coming school year.

Generous grants from First Solar, Southern Company, SunTrust Bank, and Caesars Entertainment made this program possible.

	Funding from Caesars Entertainment / Caesars Foundation brings on a Buddy Bison school in Missouri This fall HERO volunteers from Harrah's North Kansas City and local school children will visit Smithville Lake where they will meet US Army Corps of Engineers and Clay County Rangers to learn about the lake's unique ecosystem and its value to the community as a water source and recreation area.   ____________________________________________________________________________
	Grant from First Solar adds 4 schools in California and Nevada Through the First Solar sponsorship, the Buddy Bison program will be launched this fall and will enable students to have hands-on experiences in the following California parks: Mojave National Preserve, Joshua Tree National Park and Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve. ____________________________________________________________________________
	Southern Company partners with NPT to add school in Georgia With support from Atlanta-based Southern Company, NPT will add a Marietta, GA elementary school to the Buddy Bison school program this year. Students will have the unique opportunity to be involved in a pilot program that not only engages them with experiential learning activities at Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park but will also be involved with its preservation. ____________________________________________________________________________
	Funding from SunTrust Bank allows for addition of Washington, DC pre-school A generous gift from SunTrust Bank has allowed NPT to add the Sunshine Learning Center in Southeast Washington, DC to the Buddy Bison program. The Sunshine Learning Center will be the first early childhood education center participating in the program. Our goal is help their teachers fold in concepts on the environment and healthy living through activities like the development of a natural playground and edible garden.

1. Post a photo of Buddy Bison to your Facebook page and tag National Park Trust or send your photo to buddy@buddybison.org.
   
   
2. Photos must be submitted by Friday, August 31, 2012
   
   
3. The top THREE photos will be included in NPT's 2013 Calendar!
   
   
4. Contest winners will receive a copy of the 2013 Calendar, Buddy Bison, a Buddy Bison T-shirt and National Geographic Travel Guide.

On August 25, the National Park Service turned 96! To celebrate their birthday, they are inviting everyone, especially children, to join in the festivities taking 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!

Also visit U.S. Department of the Interior's recently updated website www.recreation.gov to help you find great outdoor activities near you!

Pitch a Tent at one of our Nation's Coolest Campsites

As summer comes to a close, many families will be spending some time at one of America's treasured National Parks. Even though millions travel to these parks during the summer months, there are still great places to camp within park boundaries which, amazingly, remain fairly un-crowded.

Check out this recent USA Today article, which details some of the more remarkable campsites in National Parks such as Glacier, Olympic, Grand Teton, and Big Bend. The campsites offer a number of exciting features – you can set up your tent in an orchard, stay on a cliff over-looking the Pacific Ocean, or sleep underneath a canopy of massive pine trees!