National Park Trust Implements Environmental Education in Atlanta School in Partnership With Georgia-Pacific Foundation

100 third-grade students to take learning outdoors at Sweetwater Creek State Park

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Apr 28, 2015, 12:45 ET

ATLANTA, April 28, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- National Park Trust (NPT), in partnership with the Georgia-Pacific Foundation, is pleased to announce that M. Agnes Jones Elementary is the newest addition to NPT's nationally recognized Buddy Bison School Program. The program uniquely integrates environmental education with outdoor recreation.

Now in its sixth year, the Buddy Bison School Program is in support of First Lady Michelle Obama's Let's Move! initiative and grew out of a need to encourage young people to discover and explore America's parks and public lands and water. Sixty schools across the country have joined the program which focuses on cultivating park stewards and outdoor enthusiasts in predominantly under-served communities. M. Agnes Jones Elementary is the first school in Atlanta to be welcomed into the program.

"We look forward to our new partnership with the Georgia-Pacific Foundation," stated National Park Trust Board Chair Bill Brownell. "Parks are wonderful outdoor classrooms. As our newest Buddy Bison school, the third-grade students from M. Agnes Jones Elementary will learn not only about the fascinating science and history that exists right in their backyard, but they will also experience the health and wellness benefits of playing outdoors in parks."

Georgia-Pacific's Director of Community Affairs JaKathryn Ross said, "As long-time supporters of education, we know that hands-on learning experiences are the key to making concepts come to life for students. We're excited to support NPT and give students from M. Agnes Jones, our partner school, a wonderful and fun learning opportunity through the Buddy Bison program."

The third-grade students at M. Agnes Jones Elementary will kick off their program at Sweetwater Creek State Park on April 29 and 30^th. During this two-day period, 100 students and their teachers will hike through the park learning about geology as they observe faulted and folded rock created by plate tectonic events. They also will learn about adaptions of animals and how they interact with the environment. Students will continue to explore parks throughout the 2015 – 2016 school year.

About National Park Trust

National Park Trust is a 501(c)(3) non-profit dedicated to the preservation and protection of our nation's critical parks and engaging our youth – especially those that are under-served – to our parks and the outdoors. Through the Buddy Bison School Program and Kids to Parks Day, a national grassroots movement celebrated annually in May, NPT is building a greater awareness of and appreciation for the importance of our nation's parks. NPT is preserving parks today and creating park stewards for tomorrow (www.parktrust.org and kidstoparks.org).

About Georgia-Pacific

Based in Atlanta, Georgia-Pacific and its subsidiaries are among the world's leading manufacturers and marketers of bath tissue, paper towels and napkins, tableware, paper-based packaging, office papers, cellulose, specialty fibers, nonwoven fabrics, building products and related chemicals. The company employs approximately 35,000 people directly, and creates nearly 130,000 jobs indirectly. Founded in 1958, the Georgia-Pacific Foundation has four key investment areas: education, community enrichment, environment and entrepreneurship. For more information on the Georgia-Pacific Foundation, visit www.gp.com/gpfoundation.

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SOURCE Georgia-Pacific