Among America’s greatest treasures is our national parks system, which includes 409 parks, cultural sites and historic landscapes totaling 84 million acres. Our parks have never been more popular — they hosted over 307 million visitors last year — but years of under-funding have forced rangers to care for the parks on shoestring budgets. Currently, there is a $12 billion dollar backlog of much needed repairs. Despite the obvious strain this shortfall is causing, last year the Park Service received only 60% of the money required just to keep the maintenance backlog from getting worse.
Groups like the National Park Conservation Association are lobbying Congress for more funding, but boosting volunteerism in the parks is another important way to help protect them. This year is the Centennial anniversary of the formation of the National Park Service, which offers a unique chance to raise awareness about the plight of our park system and get more people involved with its preservation.
One venture trying to make a difference is a collaborative mobile game called “Save the Park.” The goal of the game is to inspire players to make a difference in real life for the U.S. National Parks through volunteerism. The game was developed in partnership with
The following is an excerpt of our interview with Susanna Pollack, President of Games For Change who was instrumental in making Save the Park available:
Kate Harrison: How does Save the Park work?
Susanna Pollack: It’s a runner-style game where players have the opportunity to control two characters — a national park volunteer and their Junior Ranger companion. These two characters work together completing volunteer activities that support the parks. Save the Park features four National Park Volunteers who must accomplish a set of volunteer tasks, that focus on preserving and conserving this remarkable natural resource . The characters represent different interests and passions that we feel will inspire people to volunteer.
Harrison: What is the primary point of the game?
Pollack: Players learn about the national parks through facts and information that is focused on how in-game volunteer tasks represent real-world impact that volunteers have every day in the national parks.
Harrison: This game has a number of “Easter Eggs.” What are they and what do they do?
Pollack: “Easter Eggs” are hidden objects, that when collected, unlock additional points or content. In this game, the Easter Eggs unlock socially shareable National Park postcards. Throughout the game, prompts are made to players to take action and volunteer by going online to: http://www.nps.gov/getinvolved/volunteer.htm.
Harrison: How did Save the Park come about?
Pollack: In honor of the National Park Service’s Centennial celebration, American
Harrison: How was the project funded?
Pollack: The game was created through a $250,000 grant from American Express. It is a complimentary activity to AMEX’s multi-year $5 million dollar commitment to help the Department of the Interior increase community volunteers in national parks and on public lands. Their goal is to recruit one million volunteers annually by 2017.
Harrison: Is the game popular?
Pollack: The game is off to a great start. We are building a community of players through great reviews and word of mouth. With National Park Week, National Volunteer Week, and Earth Day around the corner, we expect to continue to attract players and future park volunteers! In addition, the American Express Foundation will make a $1 donation to the National Park Foundation — the official charity of the National Park Service — for each download of Save the Parks that occurs on or before December 31, 2016. They’ll fund up to $50,000 through this incentive!
Harrison: How are you marketing the game and who is your target market?
Pollack: The game is targeted at Millennials but was developed to appeal to all ages. In fact, we created a character who is 9 years old — a Junior Ranger — to demonstrate that even young kids can participate as a volunteer with their families or communities. We are reaching audiences through traditional means, and we also we have great partners like American Express and National Parks Service with wide distribution channels on social media and through newsletters.
Harrison: What challenges are you facing and what lessons have you learned that others might benefit from?
Pollack: As many developers will lament, it is a very crowded marketplace for games. Getting noticed is always a challenge. We have been actively developing partnerships that can help break through the noise — but it’s a battle that’s ongoing even with the excellent partners we have.
Harrison: Is there anything else you would like to share?
Pollack: Go outside this spring and enjoy your nearest national park! Better yet, play Save the Park first, get some great ideas for opportunities for volunteers, and then volunteer some of your time to a great cause!
You can also urge your members of Congress to fully fund the parks by clicking here.
