5% for the Parks

Donations so Far: $333.20

What is 5% for the parks

This is a self sponsored initiative through my photography. 5% of every sale will be donated to the National Park Foundation (NPF) or Washington’s National Park Fund (WNPF). That means that 5% of every print you buy, every calendar you order, every piece of art you purchase will be donated to the NPF or WNPF. The NPF is the official charity of the National Parks and WNPF is the “official philanthropic partner to Mount Rainier, North Cascades, and Olympic National Parks.” They work to help fund the parks and open the outdoors to everyone. The funds collected from my sales are updated in the above total and are donated each year. This initiative supports our National Parks as well as mitigates my impact as I encourage others to explore our beautiful world.

 

Why do I support the National Park service (NPS)?

I strongly believe that you don’t have to go somewhere special to be in awe of nature. I know from experience that you can walk out your door or head to the local park and find something just as, if not more beautiful than what you can find in distant wildernesses around the globe. However, it’s hard not to appreciate the National Parks. I’ve had too many jaw drop moments to count within their bounds.

The national parks (especially with their easy accessibility to stunning sights) have long acted as at least part of my photographic muse. They have been the gateway nature, the places that have inspired me to traverse further and further into the wilderness. North Cascades and Yosemite especially inspired me during the most formative years and in the time since, the parks along the west coast have continued to surprise me whenever I make an effort to visit them. I have no idea where I would be today without their impact and I want to thank these American icons. The NPS has inspired me, acted as a sense of stability, allowed me to clear my mind, and helped me develop many of my closest friendships. After 20/62 parks visited it’s high time I repay the favor.

 

Why should you support the NPS?

It’s incredibly important to give back and protect our natural spaces for future generations. Here are some quick facts about the importance of our US National Parks:

  • The National Park Service was established more than a century ago in 1916 (Yellowstone was protected in 1872)

  • The National Park System preserves some 84 million acres of land which is about 3.4% of the land in the US

  • In 2019 the park system had 330 million visits—on average every single person in the US visited

  • During the lifetime of the NPS there have been 14.6 billion visits!

  • The NPS annual budget is about $4 billion which only gives it around $10 to spend per visitor

  • As of 2018 the maintenance backlog (projects waiting for completion) across the system was $12 billion

  • The fees you pay to access the most popular national parks (Mount Rainier, Yosemite, Crater Lake, etc) only contribute another 350 million annually

  • As these numbers and the recent government shutdowns have shown, the NPS lacks funding and it’s essential we preserve the parks as visitation/use increases

 

What if I don’t want to or can’t support the parks?

You monster! But actually, I completely understand. I want my photos to be accessible to everyone. If you’re unwilling to have the price of your item increased by 5% or a 5% increase puts my art out of reach please contact me (wyatt@wyattmullen.com) with National Park Discount in the subject line and I will send you a discount code.

Don’t hesitate to contact me with any questions as well!

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