John,
Giving Day is the day we ask a select group of nature lovers, outdoors enthusiasts, and conservationists to
join The Trust for Public Land. This year, Giving Day is August 20 — tomorrow — and our goal is to raise $20,000 in support of public lands.
Why did we pick that date? Well, July and August are the two peak months for attendance at our national parks. For example, nearly 1.8 million people will visit Yellowstone National Park this July and August — and that’s just one park. Add up all the other parks … historical sites … recreation areas … hiking trails … boat landings … the numbers are truly astounding.
As we see it, the odds are high that the type of person we’re looking for has visited a park or other open space in the past few months. And that such a visit truly brings home just how important our public lands are.
Unfortunately, the opportunity to experience these benefits is disappearing at an alarming rate. The U.S. Forest Service has reported that 6,000 acres of open space are converted to other uses every day.
As you can tell from our name, public lands are incredibly important to us. In fact, our mission is to create parks and protect land for people.
Our goal is to ensure that every child has easy access to a safe place to play in nature. We also conserve working farms, ranches, and forests; lands of historical and cultural importance; rivers, streams, coasts, and watersheds; and other special places where people can experience nature close at hand. And we want to stop the daily loss of 6,000 acres of open space.
If things like this are important to you, too, I hope you will consider becoming a member of The Trust for Public Land.
With Giving Day on the horizon, I’m going to ask you to do two things:
1) Join The Trust for Public Land today. We only need 200 public-land enthusiasts to step up with a gift of $100 each — or 400 to give $50 each — in order to reach our goal. Either one is just a tiny fraction of the millions who will experience the majesty of America’s public lands this month alone.
2) Spread the word about The Trust for Public Land, Giving Day, and the loss of 6,000 acres each day on Facebook, Twitter, or whatever social media you participate in.
There is so much work to be done, and we can accomplish so much together. It’s time for us to team up — now, when the need is so great.
Sincerely,
Kim Elliot
Director of Membership
|
