Apple celebrates a century of America's national parks with donations and education
This August marks 103 years of the US National Park Service. To celebrate, Apple has introduced several new ways for its customers to learn about, enjoy and support America’s parks.
From 17-25 August, Apple will make a $10 donation to the National Park Foundation for the first 100,000 purchases made with Apple Pay at an Apple Store, on apple.com or on the Apple Store app in the US, according to an Apple blog post.
The National Park Foundation is the official charitable partner of the National Park Service, and together they work to protect and enhance everyone’s ability to enjoy the natural, cultural and historic treasures within US national parks. The donations will go towards supporting causes across the country that aim to help young people who might not otherwise experience the parks, access them and discover what they have to offer. These programs range from elementary school trips to multi-week service corps for young people that help them build their leadership skills while also providing support to critical park projects.
Apple is also encouraging its customers to learn more about the parks by exploring the special collections and activities across Apple’s services. The Apple TV app’s national parks collection will include 'Free Solo,' the 'National Parks Exploration Series' from Smithsonian Channel Plus and other relevant TV shows and movies. Apple Music will introduce 'Nature Awaits,' a brand new playlist inspired by the extraordinary beauty of the country's parks, and Apple Podcasts will feature a collection of shows focused on national parks, hosted by the rangers and hikers that love them most.
Apple Books will feature 'Our National Parks,' a themed collection that will guide readers through notable national parks in the United States. The App Store will highlight a collection of some of the essential apps to help customers plan for and enjoy their next national park visit.
On 25 August, Apple Watch users around the world can earn an Activity award and animated stickers for Messages inspired by Grand Canyon National Park’s 100th anniversary. To participate, users need only record a walk, run, hike or wheelchair workout of at least three miles — the distance of the Santa Monica Mountain park’s popular South Kaibab Trail to Cedar Ridge and back.
Speaking about the campaign, Tim Cook, chief executive officer of Apple said: “the beauty in our parks is obvious to all observers but their most profound contribution is to our spirit. We are proud to support them.”
