Recently, a second round of grants was announced in connection with programs put forward by the National Park Foundation.
Consumer-product company Unilever will commit $500,000 to the foundation’s America’s Best Idea grant program. The creation of the program was inspired by Emmy-Award-winning director Ken Burns’ documentary about the history of the national parks entitled The National Parks: America’s Best Idea.
The goal of the grant program is to help connect the parks with underserved populations, including minority communities.
"Each of us as citizens is a part owner of the national parks," Neil Mulholland, president and chief executive officer of the National Park Foundation said. "America’s Best Idea – both the film and the grant program – is about reaching out to people who don’t feel connected to the parks and bringing them into their own lands."
An initial phase of grants was put finished earlier this year and saw $500,000 distributed to 35 national parks. The first grants represented a partnership between the National Park Foundation and the Evelyn and Walter Haas, Jr. Fund.
Through the first phase of grants, Yosemite National Park was able to hold field seminars that focused on its multicultural history, which ranged from African-American soldiers that patrolled the park to Chinese-American workers who helped build roads in it.
Mesa Verde National Park in Colorado used the funds to help the area’s young people of indigenous descent create a film about the park, which will be used to educated youths from all backgrounds.
Young people who live near the shore of Lake Michigan got to use the benefit of grant money to learn about the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore. Through new recording equipment, youths got to document the park.
For those who may be interested in doing their own learning about the parks, Ken Burn’s documentary – which debuted on September 27 – is currently being featured on PBS.
A new war of National Preservation is waging in Philadelphia. A group of special interests led by The Pew Trusts are in the process of blindly and irresponsibly dismantling one of our Nation’s most important cultural landmarks, The Barnes Foundation in Merion PA. Built on a 140 year old World Class arboretum and Garden, the specially designed limestone Mansion houses the greatest collection of Post-impressionist and Early Modern Art in all the world. Founded by John Dewey, the father of American Philosophy, The Barnes is the sanest, most soulful and most serene place in the World to view and contemplate art. The only thing more beautiful and inspirational than the art inside The Barnes is the beauty of Its Mansion and Natural setting. WE NEED TO HOLD ON TO THE BARNES! IT HOLDS THE ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS WE HAVE NOT EVEN YET LEARNED TO ASK! PEW TRUSTS’ Barnes Move is the greatest ABUSE of the Nation’s Cultural Trust since greedy land barons tried to obstruct the establishment of our National Parks. For more on The Barnes On The Parkway fiasco, please see the new documentary “THE ART OF THE STEAL” or Barnesfriends.org THE BARNES BELONGS IN MERION, PA. STOP THE BARNES MOVE.