OUR PROJECTS
Parks for People & Wildlife for All Time
National Parks are one of America’s greatest and most enduring achievements. From Yellowstone to Yosemite, these extraordinary landscapes reflect our shared heritage and national identity. They are open to all — welcoming people from every background — and they serve as places of renewal, inspiration, and restoration for both people and wildlife. In 2024 alone, more than 330 million visits were recorded across the National Park System — a historic high, equivalent to nearly every person in the United States experiencing a park firsthand. This extraordinary public engagement reflects something deeper: trust. The National Park Service consistently ranks among the most trusted federal institutions in the country. Economically, our parks generate $55.6 billion in output each year while operating on just $3.6 billion — a powerful return on a modest public investment. Yet the future of our parks is not guaranteed.
At Unite for Parks, we work to ensure that these treasured landscapes are not only preserved, but strengthened and expanded for generations to come. We unite communities, advance sound policy, and champion the creation of new National Parks in America and around the world.
Together, we can ensure that America’s National Parks continue to inspire, sustain, and unite us — now and for all time.
GOAL - Get Outside, Advocate & Lead!
The Outdoor & Advocacy Leadership (GOAL) Program empowers youth and adults to become confident, resilient leaders in times of change. Set within the inspiring landscapes of our National Parks, the program integrates personal growth, leadership development, and effective civic advocacy.
Originally developed with funding from the State of California and implemented over two years with a focus on youth and at-risk communities, GOAL has since expanded to serve adults seeking to grow in their professional responsibilities, personal lives, and sense of purpose.
Through immersive outdoor experiences, participants build physical strength, mental resilience, emotional fortitude, and the practical skills needed to advocate effectively for their communities and the natural world. By combining leadership training with hands-on conservation and policy engagement, GOAL prepares individuals to lead with integrity, courage, and vision.
College Internships & Mentoring
Our Internship Program actively engages students and emerging youth leaders in building a positive and sustainable future. Interns are fully integrated into our work, contributing across all areas of the organization — from conservation campaigns and policy initiatives to outdoor leadership training and community engagement.
We prioritize developing each intern’s individual interests and strengths, ensuring they gain meaningful experience aligned with their academic and professional goals. Through hands-on projects, structured mentorship, and practical leadership development, participants build the skills and confidence needed to pursue careers in public service, conservation, advocacy, or graduate study. Our goal is to equip them with both experience and perspective so they can make informed decisions about their futures.
Unite for Parks is committed to equitable opportunity. Our interns are competitively compensated and encouraged to cultivate their unique talents and abilities. Past interns have designed logos and campaign materials, developed social media strategies, contributed to advocacy efforts, and helped refine our leadership programs — leaving a lasting impact on our organization.
We invite motivated students and emerging leaders to join our team and help shape the future of America’s National Parks.
The Range of Light National Monument
Unite for Parks was founded with a bold and ambitious goal: to protect approximately 1.4 million acres of federal land between Yosemite and Kings Canyon National Parks through the creation of the proposed Range of Light National Monument. This extraordinary landscape — rich in biodiversity, cultural history, and vital watersheds — represents one of the most significant unprotected regions in California’s Sierra Nevada.
For more than eleven years, we led the effort to advance this proposal, building broad coalitions and developing deep expertise in conservation policy and the federal legislative process. The campaign earned endorsements from more than 300 businesses and organizations, over 200 scientists, 20 members of Congress, and major state and national political organizations.
In 2022, legislation to establish the monument was formally introduced in Congress by Representative Jackie Speier. Following the bill’s introduction, 52 legislators endorsed the proposal. We then completed the detailed monument maps and prepared a comprehensive legal and scientific “Object Book” — the formal documentation outlining the ecological, cultural, and historic resources that justify designation under the Antiquities Act. In addition, we commissioned a full economic impact report demonstrating the long-term economic benefits the monument would bring to surrounding communities and the region.
The Range of Light campaign represents years of careful research, coalition-building, and strategic advocacy. The foundation has been laid.
We are now seeking a dedicated local advocate to help lead this effort into its next chapter — someone rooted in the community who can build momentum, strengthen partnerships, and advance the vision of permanent protection for this remarkable landscape.
If you are interested in helping guide the future of the Range of Light National Monument, we invite you to reach out and join us.