El Camino Real Trail One of ‘Best Ideas’ -

El Camino Real Trail One of ‘Best Ideas’

Program inspired by documentary maker Ken Burns’ film on park system

Rockdale Reporter - November 1, 2012

El Camino Real de los Tejas National Historic Trail Association, which runs near

Rockdale, has been selected as one of 49 national parks and trails participating in the

2012 America’s Best Idea program sponsored by the National Park Foundation, the official

charity of America’s national parks.

Inspired by the critically-acclaimed Ken Burns documentary “The National Parks:

America’s Best Idea,” the America’s Best Idea grant program funds park projects designed

to connect diverse, under-engaged populations throughout the United States with their

national parks in innovative and meaningful ways.

“We are proud to provide the much needed support to create unique opportunities for all

Americans to personally connect with their national parks,” said Neil Mulholland,

President and CEO of the National Park Foundation.

“The America’s Best Idea grants are often the catalyst for extraordinary experiences

that develop into lifelong relationships with our national parks for the program

participants,” he said. “We are honored to have been selected by the National Park

Foundation to be a part of the America’s Best Idea program,” Steven Gonzales, trail

executive director, said.

“We look forward to working with schools throughout Texas in our efforts to engage and

inform them about El Camino Real de los Tejas National Historic Trail. We know this will

enable them to appreciate and care for this irreplaceable resource for many years to

come,” Gonzales said.

HISTORIC - El Camino Real de los Tejas National Historic Trail Association worked in

conjunction with three seventh grade Texas history teachers to develop curriculum for

seventh grade students.

The lesson plans focus on national trails, national parks, and national historic trails,

particularly El Camino Real de los Tejas National Historic Trail.

“We crafted six lesson plans that will be distributed for educators to use, free of

charge. On Oct. 31, an interactive videoconference connected fourth and seventh across

the state,” Gonzales said. El Camino Real de los Tejas National Historic Trail

Association is working in cooperation with Region VII Education Service Center to

conduct its third annual videoconference.

For a full listing of participating parks and program descriptions in the America’s Best

Idea program, visit the National Park Foundation website.

THANKS - The National Park Foundation and El Camino Real de los Tejas National Historic

Trail Association thank L.L. Bean, Disney, the Anschutz Foundation, and the Ahmanson

Foundation for their generous support of the America’s Best Idea program.

For more information on the National Park Foundation or how you can support and protect

America’s national parks, visit www.nationalparks.org.

For more information about El Camino Real de los Tejas National Historic Trail

Association visit the www.elcaminotrail.org.

NATIONAL PARKS - All Americans own 84 million acres of the world’s most treasured

memorials, landscapes, ecosystems, and historic sites, all protected in America’s nearly

400 national parks.

Chartered by Congress, the National Park Foundation is the official charity of America’s

national parks.

Park charities work hand in hand with the National Park Service to connect all Americans

to the parks, and to make sure that they are preserved for the generations who will

follow. Interested persons may join at www.nationalparks.org