Your support can keep the sun from setting on the National Parks Traveler/NPS file

There is no shortage of "news" outlets in the world. How reputable they all are, well, that's debatable. At the National Parks Traveler, our reputation is on display every day of the year, and readers appreciate our efforts to see that our news coverage is fair and balanced.

"Honest, balanced, and timely reporting. My family appreciates that!" wrote Richard Knight in a note that accompanied his donation for the Traveler's year-end fund-raising campaign.

For the past eight weeks we've reached out to you for your support, because without it the Traveler wouldn't exist. In fact, it won't exist. 

Despite the similarities of our names, the Traveler is not an arm of the National Park Service, nor of the federal government, nor of any large conglomerate. We are an official 501(c)(3) nonprofit media organization that relies heavily on the $25, $50, and $100 donations that readers and listeners send us to cover the daily goings-on across the National Park System and within the National Park Service.

If the day comes when it's no longer feasible for the Traveler to operate, will another news operation rise up to fill the void?

"The National Parks Traveler is a great source of breaking news about parks and I use it all the time," said Frank Dean, CEO of the Yosemite Conservancy, which helps support our nonprofit news organization. "The Traveler website also serves as a forum and a quick way to check the pulse of what issues are resonating with the broader community of park supporters. I believe the Traveler provides an important service and deserves our support.”

George Stone, National Geographic's executive editor for travel, seconded Dean's statement.

“National Parks Traveler is essential daily reading for anyone interested in conservation and exploration of our national parks and other public lands. From policy to ecology, community interests to climate change, adventures and animals to everyday heroes saving parks for future generations, the nonprofit’s urgent reporting pushes the dial on preservation and encourages readers to cherish and defend our wild, beautiful spaces,” wrote Stone when asked why he likes the Traveler. 

We are at the end of the fund-raising campaign, with just today and tomorrow "officially" left in the campaign. We remain short of our $100,000 goal, though a record number of readers and listeners has stepped up because of their belief in what we do on a daily basis throughout the year.

If you value our coverage, if you see it as serving a key informational role in protecting the National Park System through education and shining some light on management actions, if you've found it useful for preparing for your next national park vacation, we hope you'll agree with the statements made by Frank Dean and George Stone and join the more than 250 readers and listeners who have donated since November 1.

Carolyn Ward, president and CEO of the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation, another Traveler supporter, summed up the urgency of our fund-raising campaign like this: 

"With the loss of so much independent journalism in this country, coupled with the critical significance of our national parks, it is more important than ever that we ensure the preservation of the National Parks Traveler."

Before midnight Friday, click one of the donate buttons below and help move us closer to our goal. And then urge a friend to do the same.