Press Release – National Parks Elements

PRESS RELEASE

National Parks Elements

15 September 2021:

National Parks have teamed up with eco-app enterprise Explorer HQ to launch National Parks Elements – a campaign to inspire more young people to visit, enjoy and care for some of the most beautiful, wild places in the country, and also to improve their well-being by connecting with nature closer to home.

The UK’s 15 National Parks have experienced record visitor numbers since the start of the pandemic in 2020, with many young people discovering these wonderful spaces for the first time.

The National Parks Elements campaign aims to build on these new connections by creating a series of 60 app-based Missions that will take young Explorers on an enlightening journey from their home turf out into the wilderness – and help to create a whole new generation of guardians of this country’s most treasured natural spaces. By logging their completed missions on the Explorer HQ app, National Park Explorers will also see exactly how their individual behaviours contribute to an uplifting collective effort, meaning users get to enjoy and conserve the National Parks at the same time.

The project is being funded via donations through the Crowdfunder platform, which will also raise vital funds for restoration and tree-planting efforts throughout the National Parks. https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/nationalparks 

Explorer HQ’s Chief Exploration Officer Mark Pearce says: “Discovering and engaging with nature has been a great relief and comfort to people during the last two years, but the climate crisis is also a source of great anxiety for many young people. We want to help young people nurture that love of the great outdoor spaces in our country, and show them that they’re not alone by encouraging them to take positive, practical steps to overcoming eco-anxiety and saving the planet – one mission at a time.”

National Parks UK Development Manager Lisa Sensier says: “The National Parks Elements campaign with Explorer HQ will connect young explorers to our parks and a range of projects that aim to test new approaches to generating sustainable growth in the wellbeing of people, landscapes, nature, culture, social institutions and the economy.”

For more information:

Lisa Sensier – Development Manager, National Parks Partnerships
lisa.sensier@nationalparks.co.uk
https://www.nationalparks.uk

Mark Pearce – Chief Exploration Officer
mark@explorerhq.com
https://www.explorerhq.com

Free to Download on:
Apple App Store – https://apps.apple.com/ky/app/explorer-hq/id1500592254

Google Play Store – https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.explorerhq.explorerhq&hl=en_GB&gl=US   

NOTES TO EDITORS:

About UK National Parks:

• There are 15 National Parks in the UK, spanning the length and breadth of the country. 10 in England, three in Wales and two in Scotland.
• National Parks cover almost 10 percent of England, 20 percent of Wales and 8 percent of Scotland.
• Each National Park is administered by its own authority, but that authority does not own all of the land within the Park. They are independent bodies funded by central government to:
  • Conserve and enhance the natural beauty, wildlife and cultural heritage.
  • Promote opportunities for the understanding and enjoyment of the special qualities of national parks by the public.
• In carrying out these aims, National Park Authorities are also required to seek to foster the economic and social well-being of local communities within the national park.
• National Parks are free to enter and explore and have 104 million visits each year.
• For more information visit nationalparks.uk