The Parks in Focus program, which has expanded in Yosemite thanks to Conservancy donors, helps middle school students from economically underserved communities discover public lands and learn about nature through photography.

For many kids, a Parks in Focus trip is their first opportunity to hike, camp in or visit a national park. After an initial introduction to the outdoors through activities in local parks, participants head to Yosemite for a four- or five-day camping trip. They meet with rangers and photographers, complete stewardship projects and explore their surroundings with digital cameras. In 2018, the Parks in Focus team provided programming for 37 students from three San Francisco Bay Area youth organizations, and curated exhibits in Yosemite and beyond to showcase participants’ work. During their Yosemite trips, the students took more than 13,500 photos, and helped restore habitat in Yosemite Valley and Tuolumne Meadows.

Your contributions supported a program that helps kids see the natural world through a new lens and fall in love with the outdoors.

Completed in partnership with Yosemite National Park, Udall Foundation and The Ansel Adams Gallery.

Bret Muter

Program Manager, Parks in Focus

Project Notes

Parks in Focus encourages participants to use photography as a tool for environmental learning and as an outlet for creative expression.