Toyota Helps Yellowstone National Park Create Sustainable Connections Between Visitors and Nature

YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, Mont., Aug. 15 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Today in Yellowstone National Park, Toyota presented a check totaling more than $800,000 and five vehicles to the Yellowstone Park Foundation -- the official fundraising partner of Yellowstone National Park -- in support of instilling a preservation ethic and promoting environmental stewardship among visitors. Through Toyota's donation, Yellowstone National Park will enhance the curriculum and accessibility of its educational programs to inspire future Yellowstone leaders as part of its No Child Left Inside initiative.

Yellowstone National Park is among five national parks receiving a total of $5 million and 23 vehicles as part of Toyota's commitment to advancing environmental leadership and educational initiatives at parks around the country. The donation to Yellowstone, through the Yellowstone Park Foundation, encompasses $882,772 and five vehicles, including three hybrids.

"Toyota and Yellowstone National Park both share a vision in developing future environmental stewards from the onset to encourage long-lasting conservation values," said Dian Ogilvie, senior vice president of Toyota Motor North America. "We are proud to work with Yellowstone National Park and contribute to educational initiatives which will expand the Park's reach to even more communities and groups who have not yet experienced the beauty of Yellowstone."

Over the next five years, Toyota's gift will support the No Child Left Inside initiative, encompassing a multitude of educational programs focused on inspiring students to take responsibility for their everyday actions to ensure a more sustainable society; encouraging creative problem solving and critical-thinking skills through hands-on experimentation; and motivating students to educate others by sharing their preservation values. Programs funded by Toyota's contribution include ParKids, summer educational workshops for students to develop environmental stewardship; Junior Ranger and Young Scientist programs which collectively reach more than 22,000 children annually; the Native American Cross-Cultural Exchange program, tailored to provide a residential camp experience for fostering relationships between the Park and tribal youth; and the Yellowstone ESCAPE (Enhancing School Curricula with a Park Experience) program which incorporates both an Educational Day Use Program for school groups and three Teacher Training Workshops per year.

"In today's digital age, it is essential to encourage young people to get outdoors and connect with nature for the benefit of their personal development and well-being," said Yellowstone National Park Deputy Superintendent Chris Lehnertz. "We focus on teaching students about Yellowstone's natural and cultural resources to promote stewardship of open space and ecosystems worldwide, and are grateful for Toyota's contribution in helping us develop future environmental leaders."

Yellowstone National Park's longstanding commitment to fostering environmental leadership made the Park a prime candidate to receive the Toyota funding.

"Toyota's generous support will help Yellowstone's visitors better appreciate and understand the Park's great value to the world, thus helping to ensure its protection and preservation for generations to come," said Paul Zambernardi, Executive Director of Yellowstone Park Foundation.

Toyota's contribution will also benefit Everglades National Park, Grand Canyon National Park, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Yosemite National Park and the National Park Foundation.

About Toyota

Toyota (NYSE: TM) established operations in the United States in 1957 and currently operates 10 manufacturing plants, with another under construction in Mississippi. Toyota is committed to being a good corporate citizen in the communities where it does business and believes in supporting programs with long-term sustainable results. Through its corporate initiatives, manufacturing operations and philanthropy, Toyota supports numerous organizations across the country, focusing on education, the environment and safety. In 2007, Toyota contributed more than $56 million to philanthropic programs in the U.S. For more information on Toyota's commitment to improving communities nationwide, visit http://www.toyota.com/community.

About the Yellowstone Park Foundation

The nonprofit Yellowstone Park Foundation has been Yellowstone National Park's official fundraising partner organization since 1996. The Foundation works in cooperation with the Park to fund projects and programs that protect, preserve, and enhance the natural and cultural resources and the visitor experience of Yellowstone National Park. The Foundation receives no annual government funding; it relies instead upon generous contributions from private citizens, foundations, and corporations to help ensure that Yellowstone's great gifts to the world will never diminish. Learn more at http://www.ypf.org.

     Media Contacts:
     Rebecca Lee
     GolinHarris for Toyota
     (213) 438-8827 office
     (310) 488-1697 mobile
     rlee@golinharris.com

     Al Nash
     Yellowstone National Park
     (307) 344-2015
     Al_Nash@nps.gov

     Christine Gianas Weinheimer
     Yellowstone Park Foundation
     (406) 586-6303
     cgianas@ypf.org

SOURCE Toyota