We're excited to announce that beginning today, November 1, we’re participating in NewsMatch—a national matching-gift campaign that drives donations to nonprofit news organizations around the country. Readers like you can play a key role in keeping our news operation strong.

We believe that independent journalism is a critical component of an engaged and educated democracy. Journalists in nonprofit newsrooms, like ours, work hard to deliver reporting that engages communities, advances solutions, and demands accountability.

As a news organization, our coverage includes issues and topics that can have, or do, impact the national parks. So wildfires, climate change, NPS decisions, and even Congressional politics are part of our coverage areas. We include news stories in our coverage of the parks because we believe it’s best that the American public that supports the parks with their tax dollars and enjoys the parks should know how those parks are being managed.

During the past year, we've kept you up-to-date on the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the National Park System, reported on wildfires and looked at the long-range of how climate change is expected to influence wildfires in the parks, and informed you of the benefits -- and the challenges -- of the Great American Outdoors Act. We looked at the challenges of boosting diversity in the National Park Service, got on the ground in Big Cypress National Preserve to see the impacts of oil exploration, and reported on the impacts climate change was having on the Colorado River and some of the national parks it passes through.

That's just a small sampler. There also were dazzling photography columns, stories on how to explore parks, articles on the great work of park friends groups and cooperating associations, and weekly podcasts that explored many more issues and topics from the park system.

By supporting our work during NewsMatch, your investment goes further. Since 2016, NewsMatch helped more than 200 newsrooms across the country raise more than $100 million from hundreds of thousands of people -- many of whom were first-time donors to nonprofit news. In 2019, NewsMatch turned $3.7 million in philanthropic investments into $43.5 million in support for local news in just two months, a more than 1,200 percent return on investment.

We invite you to join the community of national and local funding partners by being part of Traveler's NewsMatch campaign.

From now through Dec. 31st, NewsMatch will match every new monthly donation and double any one-time donation up to $5,000. You can play a big role in enabling Traveler to expand its coverage of national parks and protected areas by donating to our nonprofit organization.

You can either donate to the Traveler online, or mail a check to National Parks Traveler, P.O. Box 980452, Park City, UT, 84098.