The biggest fundraising push of the year for National Parks Traveler and other 501(c)(3) nonprofit media organizations across the country arrives on November 1, and we hope you'll be there for the Traveler.

National Parks Traveler is a small, editorially independent nonprofit media organization. It is not part of the federal government, nor a corporate subsidiary, and neither Leonardo DiCaprio nor Kevin Costner support us. Over the years, the Traveler has carved out a popular global niche with its award-winning coverage of national parks and protected areas. 

We know of no other news organization that is as strictly focused on covering national parks and protected areas. That coverage ranges from daily news events, such as the recent stories about wolves from Yellowstone National Park being shot by hunters in Montana and the eruption of Kīlauea Volcano at Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park, to deeper coverage on topics such as the drought that's plagued the Southwest for 20 years, the crisis of stony coral tissue loss affecting coral reefs at Virgin Islands National Park, and how giant sequoias are faring during this summer's wildfires in California.

We also bring you science articles from the parks, such as the recent announcement that footprints found in the landscape of today's White Sands National Park are more than 21,000 years old, in-depth articles about invasive species in the parks, and how glaciers at national parks in the Pacific Northwest are faring under increasingly hot summers.

Traveler also has provided a soapbox for opinion columns on topics as diverse (and occasionally controversial) as ranching at Point Reyes National Seashore in California to calls for more national parks.

Can you find such a mix of content on any other website?

The Traveler's words and podcasts are consumed by ~3 million readers and listeners a year. You are interested in this content, and along with many more look forward to learning more about exactly what the National Park System protects and offers. 

To keep this vital news source solvent, the Traveler needs your support.  We have been operating for far too long on a shoe-string budget. Based upon that 3 million figure above, a social media footprint of more than 325,000, and a weekly podcast that ranks among the top 2 percent of the world's ~2.6 million active podcasts, Traveler's existence is important. Very important.

We tell stories that enlighten, entertain, educate, and, quite frankly, sometimes annoy more than a few.

In November and December, during the annual NewsMatch campaign, we'll provide more details on the Traveler's role in covering national parks and protected areas, how you benefit from that coverage, and how we'll expand our coverage with your support.

Sure, we could put up a paywall or convert to a for-profit news organization, one littered with pop-up ads and obnoxious videos, but we really don't want to do that. The National Park System belongs to you, and we believe you and others shouldn't have to pay a daily charge or annual subscription fee to understand how best to enjoy the parks or to be informed on burning issues you need to be aware of to protect the parks.

Here's how George Durkee put it when he saw our story about White Sands' footprints:

This is a great discovery and article. When I saw it referenced in Science magazine I went to read it but it was behind a paywall! This is a continuing problem in science journals. Here's a discovery and research made on public lands, by researchers & NPS people -- most of whom are supported by tax dollars -- and we (the public) can't read what they publish. There's some effort to fix this but too many are closed off to the public.

That said, it's great that the photos & info can be seen here!

With 3 million readers a year, we could get by quite comfortably if each would contribute just 50 cents a year. But many still believe if it's on the Internet it should be free. But let's not forget that those who produce Traveler's content and manage the underlying architectural software have bills to pay, just like you.

We understand that we all go through tough times and money can be tight. But if you have the ability to help ensure that the Traveler's content remains available not just for you but for everyone else, we'd greatly appreciate your donation.

When the NewsMatch campaign kicks off November 1, we'll explain how your donations can help us snag matching dollars to power the Traveler. We have a big goal -- at least $75,000 in tax-deductible donations -- and we hope you'll help us reach that goal by clicking on our donate button between November 1 and December 31. Only donations received during that two-month period count in the NewsMatch campaign.

And if your employer/corporation/business would like to help us achieve that goal by offering a matching grant to entice readers and listeners, please have them contact us.