You are here

Share
National park philanthropy

What’s the state of national park philanthropy? The outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic a year ago impacted nonprofit organizations that work to support national parks. Many organizations that rely on retail sales for revenues had to close their outlets and layoff staff. How are things today?

National Park Foundation President Will Shafroth and Friends of Acadia President David MacDonald discuss Covid’s impact on nonprofits that support parks. 

:02 National Parks Traveler introduction
:12 Episode introduction with Kurt Repanshek
:59 Escalante - Tim Heintz - The Sounds of Peaks, Plateaus and Canyons
1:28 Washington’s National Park Fund promotion
2:02 Potrero Group promotion
2:33 Grand Teton National Park Foundation promotion
3:05 National Park Foundation President Will Shafroth and Friends of Acadia President David MacDonald discuss the current state of park philanthropy
18:16 Whispering Winds - Grant Geissman - Sounds of the Caribbean
18:34 National Parks Traveler promotion
18:48 Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation promotion
19:11 Western National Parks Association promotion
19:35 North Cascades Institute promotion
19:53 Friends of Acadia promotion
20:22 The discusson about park philanthropy with Will Shafroth and David MacDonald continues
43:10 Blue Mist - Randy Petersen - The Sounds of Shenadoah
43:21 Episode Closing
43:43 Orange Tree Productions promotion
44:19 Splitbeard Productions
44:31 National Parks Traveler footer

National Parks Traveler Podcast Episode 321 | National Park Science At Risk

There has been much upheaval in the National Park Service this year, with firings, then rehires, and staff deciding to retire now rather than risk sticking around and being fired. There have been fears that more Park Service personnel are about to be let go through a reduction in force.

While Interior Secretary Doug Burgum has ordered the Park Service to ensure that parks are properly to support the operating hours and needs of each park unit,” that message said nothing about protecting park resources.

April 20th, 2025 Read More

National Parks Traveler Podcast Episode 320 | George Wright Society

George Melendez Wright was a brilliant young scientist with the National Park Service back in the 1920s and 1930s. You could say he was ahead of his time, in that he wanted the Park Service to take a holistic role in how wildlife in the parks was managed.

April 6th, 2025 Read More

National Parks Traveler Podcast Episode 319 | Kilauea's Unrest

One of the greatest shows on Earth has been going on now for several months in Hawaii, where the Kīlauea volcano at Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park has been erupting since late December. The Kīlauea volcano is the most active volcano on Earth.

March 30th, 2025 Read More

National Parks Traveler Podcast Episode 318 | Covering the Parks

There are more stories to be found in the National Park System than one could write in a lifetime. Or several lifetimes.

Sometimes those stories can be hard to spot. How many were aware of the factoid from Great Smoky Mountains National Park that Jennifer Bain dug up, that if you stacked up all of the park’s salamanders against its roughly 1,900 black bears, the salamanders would weigh more?

Talk about national park trivia.

March 23rd, 2025 Read More

National Parks Traveler Podcast Episode 317 | A Little Volcanic Levity

In this week’s podcast we thought we’d take a break from the unsettling news happening in and around our national parks and federal lands regarding park staff reductions and threats of reducing park boundaries to make way for mining.  

March 16th, 2025 Read More

INN Member

The easiest way to explore RV-friendly National Park campgrounds.

The Essential RVing Guide to the National Parks

Here’s the definitive guide to National Park System campgrounds where RVers can park their rigs.

Our app is packed with RVing- specific details on more than 250 campgrounds in more than 70 national parks.

You’ll also find stories about RVing in the parks, tips helpful if you’ve just recently become an RVer, and useful planning suggestions.

The Essential RVing Guide to the National Parks

FREE for iPhones and Android phones.