April 13, 2011
May 21, Kids to Parks Day
The National Park Trust (NPT) is partnering with the Corps of Engineers to connect children to the outdoors by encouraging families to visit their federal and state parklands (not just National Park Service parks, as their name may seem to imply). NPT is non-profit organization with a mission of protecting America's critical parklands through education, partnerships, and community-building. Their vision is that everyone will have an American Park Experience. http://parktrust.org/

The Corps is partnering with the NPT, America's State Parks, Department of Health, and others to support their efforts on Kids to Parks Day, May 21, 2011. http://www.buddybison.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1203. NPT encourages parents to make a pledge on their website to take their kids or a group of kids to a park in celebration of this national event. Parents can click on a link from the Kids to Parks webpage that will take them to the Corps Lakes website to find a park nearby. More than 2,000 kids have taken the pledge so far, and 100 cities have proclaimed May 21 Kids to Parks Day.

The Corps and NPT will also be hosting a Kids to Parks Day kickoff event on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. The event is expected to involve 500 children, and will include several activities and keynote speakers to inspire the students to participate in outdoor recreation. The Corps will be leading environmental education and water safety activities, and will encourage students to visit our lakes to enjoy the water. Our goal is to create excitement and make this the first of many days spent outside exploring, leaning and getting active.

We are not asking our natural resource managers to do a special event for Kids to Parks Day. (Of course, it's great if you want to, and we highly encourage it!) Hosting a Kids to Parks Day event is an excellent way to support the America's Great Outdoors and Let's Move Outside initiatives.

Primarily, we wanted you to be aware that we are marketing our lakes as places for kids and families to check out in conjunction with this national event, in case you get questions from the public. Attached is a press release developed by NPT with more details about National Kids to Parks Day and a poster you can print for your visitor centers. Please feel free to share the poster with your local schools and community organizations.

If you have any questions about how you can get involved with National Kids to Parks Day at your operating project, please contact me via email or at (503) 808-4313.

Thank you, Heather Burke

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