Friends of Big Bend National Park

Happy 75th Anniversary Big Bend 
from Friends of Big Bend National Park!

Help Big Bend National Park Win $100,000
The National Park Foundation and Coca-Cola are encouraging Americans to be active outdoors in their national and state parks with the launch of the “America Is Your Park” campaign. Through this campaign, an online voting center has been created to let individuals cast a vote for their favorite park. The national or state park that receives the most votes by August 31^st wins a $100,000 grant made possible by Coca-Cola’s Live Positively initiative. No sign-up or registration is necessary to participate and you can vote as many times as you want until the voting closes on August 31^st.

Come Celebrate National Public Lands Day with us!

Once again the Friends are celebrating National Public Lands Day at Big Bend National Park with a volunteer project.  This year’s project is the beautification of Persimmon Gap, and there are volunteering opportunities for people of all ages and abilities.  After lunch there will be a discussion and demonstration by the park’s fire management crew and the evening will end with a discussion about Big Bend dinosaurs at the group campground in the Basin.   Click here to see the full schedule for the weekend or click here to register online!
Special thanks to our sponsors of this event:  Bill Miller BBQ, Culligan Southwest and Forever Resorts

Big Bend Ultra Run Registration NOW OPEN!!
Interested in running an Ultra race in Big Bend National Park?  Join us next January – click here to download the registration form or click here to register online.  You can find out race and course details at www.bigbend50.com.  Spaces are limited and going fast so register soon!  Need to know more?  Join us at Whole Earth Provisions at the Quarry in San Antonio on Thursday, August 5th at 6PM or Whole Earth Provisions Westgate in Austin on Thursday, September 9th at 6PM to hear from Race Director Carroll Voss about training, the course and how you can take part!

Funding Milestone:  $1 Million Donated to the Park!
On February 19 the FBBNP board held a meeting at Lajitas.  In addition to hearing from Park Supt. Bill Wellman about this year’s federal budget process, learning about the paleontological history of the park from Ranger Don Corrick and conducting its usual business, the board had the opportunity to make several gifts to the park. 

The first two gifts, from license plate funds, will pay for visitor amenities at the current paleontology exhibit as well as site plans for the future expansion of the exhibit.  The third gift was raised through the October 2009 Ride for Trails, and is for trail improvements.

For more details on the gifts given to the park this month, click here.

Want to see your license plate dollars at work? 
Check out the park’s first podcast right here:
http://www.nps.gov/bibe/parknews/upload/Basin%20Lighting%20Newsbrief%20Podcast.mov
This video was recorded and assembled with equipment and software purchased with your donations, and the lighting reduction efforts were also made possible with your gifts!  Thank you for improving the night skies in Big Bend, and helping the park record these efforts!

Park staff also began work on improvements at the Fossil Bone Exhibit site.  This week crews are installing a shade ramada and picnic tables near the Fossil Bone Exhibit parking lot off 365.  There will also be a vault toilet, creating a nice respite for travelers inbound to the park. 

GoodSearch
Are you on the internet every day?  If so, you can help Friends of Big Bend National Park while you are doing internet searches or internet shopping.

Friends of Big Bend National Park earns a penny every time you searched the Internet from the GoodSearch website.  GoodSearch.com is a Yahoo-powered search engine that donates half its advertising revenue, about a penny per search, to the charities its users designate.  Use it just as you would any search engine, get quality search results from Yahoo and help Big Bend National Park while you do it!  Just go to www.goodsearch.com and enter Friends of Big Bend as the charity you want to support!