Dear Friend of the National Parks,

The bluebonnets are abound in the Hill Country signaling we are finally in spring! Thanks to Lady Bird Johnson championing conservation efforts and the Beautification Project, we can enjoy these wildflowers across the highways as well. This spring, I encourage you to smell the flowers and go explore the Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park where you can learn more about the Legacy of Lady Bird and the former 37^th President.

Spring has a lot in store and is a reminder of the many possibilities ahead. We've already been busy and look forward to engaging with you more this month.

National Park Week
It's our favorite time of year when we get to celebrate the parks during National Park Week, April 16 - 24. NPCA's theme for the week is #BackToTheParks – with a nod to the Back to the Future films, it's a celebration of our national parks throughout the past, present and future. During the week, explore our social media accounts as we share untold stories, celebrate the inspiration of parks through art, turn our attention to the next generation of park advocates and more.

You're Invited: Desert Door Fundraiser
NPCA is teaming up with Desert Door – a distillery in Driftwood, Texas handcrafting spirits from wild-harvested sotol – for a fundraising event during National Park Week. Desert Door has created specialty cocktails like Big Bend Tall Tale Texas Tea and Chisos Basin, and for every cocktail sold during the week, NPCA will receive $2. There will be a special treat on Tuesday, April 19 as Lo Salvaje, a Tex-Mex food truck, will have its grand opening at Desert Door. We'll be there Thursday evening and hope you will too!

WHAT: NPCA and Desert Door National Park Week Fundraiser

WHEN: April 16 - 24. Purchase a cocktail during this time and $2 will go to NPCA.

RSVP: None needed during the week. For the food truck tasting on April 19 from 5 - 7 p.m., RSVP here .

Climate Polling
A new NPCA poll shows that an overwhelming, bipartisan majority of Americans agree that parks can be a solution to the climate crisis. Parks unite us! This nationwide opinion poll aimed to learn about public perception of climate impacts on national parks.

Key findings include:

A majority of Americans, nearly 9 out of 10 (88%), say climate change is negatively impacting U.S. national parks.
There is an exceptionally strong bipartisan majority (84%) that see parks as part of the solution to address climate change.
And most Americans, regardless of political affiliation, would be more likely to support a representative who supported a bill that was designed to reduce the impact of climate change on national parks.

Big Thicket National Preserve
For more than a decade, NPCA and partners have worked to restore the habitat of the longleaf pine in the greater Big Thicket Preserve that will not only benefit wildlife, but the surrounding communities with a natural storm resilient landscape. Over the course of three weekends, hundreds of volunteers planted almost 17,000 trees in 120 acres. Thank you for all those who attended -- we look forward to seeing you again next year!

Much work is still underway, and I invite you to stay connected by checking out our webpage, attend an upcoming NPCA event or take action to protect parks!

Thanks for all you do as a park advocate. Talk soon y'all.

Cary Dupuy
Regional Director, Texas

Photos, from top: Desert Door © Desert Door; Grinnell Glacier, Glacier National Park © Ballllad | Dreamstime; Big Thicket Tree Planting 2022 © Sandra Ramos.