The National Parks Promotion Council is a non-profit membership organization whose purpose is to assist the National Parks and their economies in promoting the national parks.
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Connecting People to Parks:
NOLS Seeks Sponsorship Partners
For First African-American Denali Ascent
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| | At 18, Tyhree Moore will be one of the youngest members of Expedition Denali (Courtesy NOLS) |
The National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) is taking dramatic steps to inspire African-American youth to "get outside, get active and become stewards of wild places" by organizing the first predominantly African-American expedition on Denali, the highest peak in North America within Alaska's Denali National Park.The summit attempt, planned for June 2013, is timed to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the first ascent of the 20,320 ft/6,194 m peak.
Aparna Rajagopal-Durbin, Diversity and Inclusion Manager at NOLS, says participants in the expedition have been selected from a core of highly experienced mountaineers with the physical ability to accomplish the challenging climb. Among them are Sophia Danenberg, an environmental specialist at Boeing who was the first African-American to summit Everest; Stephen Shope director of Pioneer Climbing Expedition who has lead his team up four of the world's highest peaks in a bid to be the first African-American team to climb all Seven Summits; Phil Henderson a senior NOLS field instructor; Morgan Dixon, a NOLS graduate and a founder of GirlTrek through which African-American women and girls go on treks to fight obesity; Rue Mapp, founder of Outdoor Afro which has connected thousands of African-American families to the outdoors through family excursions; and Tyrhee Moore and Rosemary Saal, both 18, who are examples of youth transformed by wilderness experiences.
The expedition is one element of a many-layered effort by NOLS to connect with minority youth and stimulate their interest in the outdoors. On the longest and most strenuous day of the climb -- a five-mile round-trip to the summit and back to High Camp -- NOLS and its partners will be mobilizing minority youth nationwide to take their own "10,000 steps to Denali." Armed with pedometers, they will be encouraged to hike 10,000 steps in wild places near their homes and thereby participate in this historic event."
Ultimately, the goal of the expedition is "to engage a broad constituency in a public dialogue about diversity in the outdoors, specifically in the field of outdoor recreation and education, and to make a profound impact on the lives of today's underrepresented youth, who are tomorrow's adventurers."
Other aspects include: classroom lessons on glacial science, climatology, human anatomy, mountain literature and other topics relating to the ascent; fitness training using the regimen prepared for the team; online interaction with team members, and following the ascent, team members will visit Black communities to inspire interest in outdoor adventures.
NOLS is seeking one or two sponsors to help underwrite the expense of the expedition and the program's extensive outreach efforts. To learn more about sponsorship opportunities, visit expeditiondenali.nols.edu OR EMAIL or call NOLS at 800.710.6657 ext. 2328.
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Park Service Equals Customer Service
Can our world-class parks provide first-class service experiences along with breathtaking vistas, educational opportunities and relaxation? The answer is, of course, a resounding "Yes", but what does great service actually look like in a park setting? Faith Selk, a specialist with years of experience in customer service at Nordstrom (famous for their exceptional standards of customer service) and knowledge of tourism development, provides this guidance.
"The basics of providing great service transcend industry and are applicable for anyone who interacts with the public. They are: Greet, Smile, Listen and Assist.
"Greeting visitors with a smile, whether at an entry gate or within the park, is fundamental to creating an atmosphere that welcomes them to the national park experience. Visitors who feel welcome are likely to spend more time in the park and engage more thoroughly in the experiences to be found there.
"Simply listening to park visitors, whether they have direct inquiries, are making general observations, or providing feedback can be an invaluable tool for enhancing service levels and visitor experiences. Listening well in the moment allows park employees to respond appropriately and effectively to visitor inquiries and concerns. Listening to feedback, whether verbal or in the form of visitors' written evaluations, provides park staff opportunities to implement ideas for improving the park experience.
"Assisting visitors in making the most of their trip to the park, be it for a day or for a week, is the ultimate service our park staff can provide. Such assistance requires product knowledge; the parks are our product. Park employees must be the experts, steeped in the information that can facilitate an amazing experience for visitors, and passionate about sharing that information.
"In a digital age, the park experience and therefore, the service experience often begins online. It is vital that information available in cyberspace be accurate, current, complete and accessible. Websites need to do more than provide basic information, like seasonal hours, downloadable maps and directions and facilities information, but customer service means interconnecting the park experience and the institutions and organizations that comprise the greater park area, including park management, gateway destinations and lodging, camping and transportation providers. Features such as an integrated reservations systems for camping and lodging, descriptions of participative programs, and interactive opportunities that engage visitors (i.e., photo postings, social media connections and involving entertainment.) help enhance the visitor's online experience and serve as a customer relationship tool. Needless to say, an internet site is not truly a customer service tool if it is not constantly maintained, refreshed and actively monitored, so that customer inquiries get prompt responses. Great online service moves people from "virtual visitors" to hands-on participants in the parks.
"When it comes to customer service, the Golden Rule rings true, but I like an updated version: "Treat your visitors (customers, clients) as you would have your favorite grandmother treated...kindly and with respect." Visitors to the national parks expect an exceptional experience that melds the beauty of nature, the joy of learning, and the thrill of escaping the ordinary. Let's deliver that promise by treating them all, whether one or 100, as you'd like your favorite grandmother treated."
Faith Selk, is available for private consultation and can be reached at 916-201-8594 or falchorn@yahoo.com.
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Looking Ahead To Pow Wow
National park-related destinations and businesses are encouraged to connect with their national park team at International Pow Wow 2012 in Los Angeles, April 21 - 25. This year's NPS team includes Rich Weideman, Dean Reeder, Donald Leadbetter and public information specialist Mike Litterst. It's a group with strong experience in international and domestic tourism development and media.
Also at Pow Wow will be John Poimiroo and Sue Cronin of the National Parks Promotion Council (NPPC) and several NPPC partners, members and supporters.
Through partnership with the NPPC and its partners, the national parks team enters Pow Wow with 44 pre-scheduled appointments, spread across the globe, with buyers from Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Costa Rica, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, India, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kuwait, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Peru, Russia, Switzerland, Taiwan, the UK and from within the United States.
Additionally, 46 additional requests were made to meet with the NPS that were not scheduled and matches could not be made for 22 organizations with which the NPS had requested appointments.
This increased exposure for the national parks is the result of promotional support given the NPPC by such organizations as Brand USA, TravelZoo, JetBlue Airways, Xanterra Parks & Resorts, the Grand Canyon Lodges, Grand Canyon Railway, Forever Resorts, the Delaware North Companies, DNC Parks & Resorts at Yosemite, the Kennedy Space Center, Wyoming Office of Tourism, Grand Teton Lodge, and the Jackson Hole Chamber of Commerce.
Twenty-two internet stations in the lobby, main lounge and four satellite lounges within the Los Angeles Convention Center. will carry displays promoting these park partners, as well as The statios will be identified as being sponsored by America's National Parks and each station will include a large, blacklit panel promoting a park partner. The NPS Arrowhead logo will also appear on several of the backlit panels, encouraging international buyers to visit nps.gov and the National Park Service booth (#768).
In the convention center lobby, promotional partner TravelZoo has underwritten the Sky Suite Lounge, an area near a Starbuck's where delegates can relax between the intense business sessions that occur on the marketplace floor.
"Explore America," the NPPC's video montage of scenes from America's National Parks will play on video monitors at the Sky Suite and on the marketplace floor.
The NPPC is reviewing other similar marketplace shows to provide its partners with promotional visibility in 2012, including the Student Youth Travel Association trade show in autumn and the NTA Convention in 2013. To learn more about these opportunities, contact Sue Cronin, VP Partnership Development, scronin@nationalparksonline.org or call (203) 256-8402.
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Parked for A Day - Reprised
 In our last issue, we awarded Yellowstone Gate our first Promi Prize for its innovative promotion, "Parked For A Day."
Through the promotion, locals and frequent visitors to Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks are being encouraged to share favorite activities that require "parking the car and getting off the beaten path, just a little bit (or maybe even a lot)."
Parked For A Day is an inspired combination of reducing impact and increasing park experience, while involving local and frequent park visitors. In speaking with Yellowstone Gate Editor Ruffin Prevost later, he asked us to help spread the concept to other parks and park communities.
Another great idea, Ruffin. So, here's the challenge... we encourage all readers of News From... to create your own "Parked For A Day" promotion, by collecting suggestions from park locals and frequent visitors on experiences worth parking the car for a day. Tweet #parkedforaday ideas or post them on Facebook or YouTube.
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NPPC Membership Sustains Park Promotion
Joining the NPPC makes it possible to address unfunded promotional issues, including promoting the national parks here and abroad, conducting market research, and sustaining national park visibility.
Varied membership levels from individual membership at $100 to Sponsoring Membership at $10,000 are available. For more information, visit www.nationalparksonline.org/join-the-nppc.
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National Park Week Offers
Free admission to all national parks is being offered by the National Park Service during National Park Week, April 21 - 25. Many gateway communities and park-related businesses are adding incentives to attract park visitors by providing discounts and added value offers during these Fee-Free Days.
To get your offer posted online and publicized, email it to jpoimiroo@nationalparksonline.org. Include: name of park, state, a description of the offer, offer code - if necessary, and how to redeem the offer.
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