Friends of Big Bend National Park

Welcome Bravoceratops!
On June 1, researchers from Big Bend National Park and Texas Tech University announced the discovery of a new species of dinosaur in Big Bend National Park – the Bravoceratops.  This horned giant roamed the area that is now Big Bend National Park 75-65 million years ago, adding another Cretaceous era dinosaur to Big Bend’s long list.  Current scientific discoveries like these are only part of what the park intends to interpret with the new Fossil Discovery Trail, which you can donate to today by clicking this link.

To learn more about Bravoceratops click here for the park’s announcement.

National Park Foundation Challenge Grant Achieved!!
We are pleased to announce that thanks to your donations we have made our Fossil Discovery Challenge grant amount of $275,000.  We are pleased that the National Park Foundation will award us an additional $100,000 for the Fossil Discovery Trail this fall.  This exciting exhibit is on its way to becoming a reality, with less than $75,000 to go to for funding of Phase 1.  The first public hearing on the exhibit was held in May in Alpine.

You can make a donation to this exhibit and help us fund construction of this exhibit today by clicking this link.

Boquillas Port of Entry is Open!
Pack your passport the next time you head to Big Bend National Park because the long-awaited Boquillas Port of Entry is now open for business.  Visitors can take a rowboat or simply wade across the Rio Grande before taking the short walk into the small Mexican town of Boquillas.  Small restaurants and bars as well as crafters and artists await you on the other side.  A passport is required for return entry into the United States.  Be sure to bring along cash and sunscreen for your trip over the border.

Thank you to the Meta Alice Keith Bratten Foundation!
Our thanks to the Bratten Foundation for their gift of $10,000 to the Fossil Discovery Trail campaign.  The Foundation has also pledged to make additional gifts in 2013 and 2014, ensuring contributions to this important exhibit for years to come.  This gift puts us over $200,000 raised toward this exhibit and well on our way to a matching grant from the National Park Foundation! 

Thank you James “Buddy” Davidson Charitable Trust!
Our thanks to the James “Buddy” Davidson Charitable Trust for their $15,000 grant to the Fossil Discovery Trail campaign.  That brings us to almost $200,000 raised for this fantastic new exhibit.  We are also pleased to announce a potential matching grant from the National Park Foundation of $100,000.  Any gifts you make to this fund will help us meet this match.

Here’s how it works: The Reliant EcoShare^SM program gives customers the option of two pricing levels:

• For a flat monthly cost of $3.95, a $1 donation is made each month to EarthShare of Texas, and 500 pounds of carbon offsets are purchased.

• Or for a flat monthly cost of $5.95, a $2 donation is made each month to EarthShare of Texas, and 1,000 pounds of carbon offsets are purchased.

Friends of Big Bend benefits, because as one of EarthShare of Texas’ participating organizations, a portion of the Reliantdonation is shared with us.

Carbon offsets for the Reliant EcoShare^SM program meet approved standards to ensure that they represent real, verifiable reductions in greenhouse gases.  Our thanks to Reliant for creating a program that provides benefits for the Texas environment!