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Contact:

Lisa LaCamera
Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts
P: 703.255.1997
lisal@wolftrap.org

Chris Guerre
Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts
P: 703.255.4096
chrisg@wolftrap.org

Andrea Keller Helsel
National Parks Conservation Association
P: 202.454.3332
akeller@npca.org

Vienna, VA—Wolf Trap, along with National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) and multiple national parks across the country, today announced the launch of a new website, Do Your Part for Climate Friendly Parks, which empowers national park visitors to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and help national parks nationwide become leaders in combating global warming.

“The 300 million people who visit America’s national parks annually could be a tremendous force in combating global warming,” said NPCA Clean Air and Climate Programs Director Mark Wenzler. “We are giving park visitors a tool to make a difference by cutting global warming pollution and helping to protect the national parks they love.”

Developed in concert with the National Park Service’s Climate Friendly Parks program, the website, http://www.doyourpartparks.org, encourages national park visitors to choose from a drop-down list of 15 national parks, create a personal profile, and pledge to take climate-friendly actions that would then “benefit” that individual national park.

If only five percent of national park visitors substituted 10 percent of their current electricity use with greener sources of power, they would eliminate 11 billion lbs. of carbon dioxide per year.

The 15 national parks listed on http://www.doyourpartparks.org are among the 40 parks nationwide that have joined the Park Service’s Climate Friendly Parks program and committed to taking on-the-ground action to address global warming. Participating parks include Apostle Islands, Glacier, Yosemite, Zion, and Wolf Trap, among others.

Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts has earned distinction within the Climate Friendly Parks Program by completing a Greenhouse Gas Emission Inventory and developing an extensive action plan to reduce emissions. In a joint effort with its co-manager, the Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts, the national park has already implemented many climate-friendly actions, such as moving to biodegradable concessions packaging; improving its recycling efforts; using recycled paper in its program guides; composting food waste from special events; and utilizing hybrid and flex fuel vehicles for Foundation operations.

In March 2007, Wolf Trap President and CEO, Terrence D. Jones, announced the formal launch of “Go Green with Wolf Trap,” a multifaceted and comprehensive effort not only to help Wolf Trap move towards environmental sustainability, but also to take a leadership role within the national performing arts community.

On July 14, 2008, during its National Summit on the Arts and Environment, Wolf Trap will host 20 environmental and arts experts, along with government, community, and business leaders, to outline a list of strategies and solutions for fully engaging performing artists and presenters in environmental stewardship. Americans for the Arts, the Aspen Institute, Reverb, and the National Park Service are all co-conveners of the summit which will take place at Booz Allen Hamilton, Inc. headquarters in McLean, Virginia and will be enhanced through videoconferencing.

For more information on Wolf Trap’s environmental initiatives, including Do Your Part for Climate Friendly Parks, please visit www.wolftrap.org or call (703) 255-1900.

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