We all have at least one thing in common: national parks. They offer us beauty, recreational opportunities, cultural history, an opportunity to recharge our batteries. How you take advantage of the parks is up to you. Our job here at National Parks Traveler is to provide you with the information you need to pursue your desires in the National Park System.

The coronavirus pandemic forced us all to make detours. Many vacations were either postponed, canceled, or headed off in another direction than initially planned. At the Traveler, we expanded our regular coverage of the parks to examine how the pandemic was impacting the parks, those who work in them, and those who enjoy them. In the coming weeks and months, there likely will be more detours that take us away from our normal approach to enjoying and appreciating the parks.

That's why we need your support next week during GivingTuesday and its accompanying News For Good initiative designed to raise money for nonprofit media organizations.

National Parks Traveler is a member of the Institute for Nonprofit News, an umbrella organization that represents more than 250 nonprofit news organizations that share one thing in common: bringing you editorially independent, factual news about the beats they cover. 

We know of no other news organization that is devoted solely to daily coverage of national parks and protected areas. That's a pretty heavy lift when you appreciate the National Park Service's structure, the political influences that impact it, as well as the more than 400 units of the National Park System.

That lift became a bit more cumbersome with the coronavirus pandemic, as we worked to track which parks were open and which were closing, how businesses were being impacted, while also bringing you stories not revolving around the pandemic.

In the past month, in addition to our coronavirus coverage, we've taken you to Everglades National Park, John Day Fossil Beds National Monument, scrutinized the issue with management of the Caneel Bay Resort in Virgin Islands National Park, and looked at efforts to envision the 21st century national park campground. We stayed on top of the impacts of oil exploration in Big Cypress National Preserve, talked with the incoming superintendent of Grand Canyon National Park, looked at bison science at Yellowstone National Park, and so much more. 

We work daily to bring you news, perspective, wonderment, and thought-provoking coverage of the parks.

If you're a regular parks traveler, the Traveler is an essential resource in your daily life. We help you stay atop of management news affecting the parks, recreational news, and travel news. We rely on you, too, and not just when it comes to donations. We've gotten more than a few tips and story leads from our readers, and while we can't tackle them all immediately, we slowly try to whittle away at them. 

When it comes to donations, our readers and listeners provide the largest share of our funding, money that fuels our editorial independence. We expect you'll continue reading Traveler in the weeks and months ahead to learn how the National Park System will reopen, and what will be expected of visitors to the parks. 

With that in mind, we’re hoping we can count on you. This is a difficult time for media. Outlets literally by the hundreds have fallen by the wayside in the past decade due to giants like Facebook and Google corraling the majority of online advertising dollars. 

Doug Leen, the force behind Ranger Doug Enterprises, the man who has spent the past 50 years tracking down original Works Progress Administration posters of the national parks to donate to the Interior Department, understands the value of the Traveler. That's why he, along with Traveler board members, will be offering matching grants next week. They believe in our mission and want Traveler to maintain its editorial voice for years to come. We hope you'll help us take their money by making a donation next week.

Your support makes what we do possible. Let's do more together.