National Parks Conference Held in Zakopane

U.S. Embassy Warsaw Deputy Chief of Mission Pamela Quanrud joined park representatives from the U.S., Poland and Slovakia in Zakopane to open a national parks conference on using alternative energy in parks.  The conference, held from April 20-23, was organized as a part of the ongoing sister park relationship between Tatra National Park and Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado, with assistance from the U.S. Consulate in Krakow.  Five representatives from Rocky Mountain National Park, including Director Vaughn Baker, joined national park staff from all over Poland and Slovakia to learn more about how parks are using alternative energy.  "Parks are stewards of our greatest natural resources, so it makes sense that they also lead efforts on sustainable energy", noted Ms. Quanrud in her comments at the opening of the conference.  Ms. Quanrud also praised the cooperation between the parks, especially since 2009 marks the 90th anniversary of Polish-American diplomatic relations. "People-to-people relations are so strong between the U.S. and Poland, and the sister parks relationship between Rocky and Tatra exemplifies this".  During the three-day conference, presenters from the U.S. and Poland gave concrete examples of how alternative energy is being used in parks, how green policies can be implemented, and how volunteers can be utilized to enhance the park experience.  The conference coincided with National Parks Week in the United States and Earth Day, which is held on April 22. (more photos)

For more information on U.S. national parks and their "Climate Friendly Parks" program, please visit the National Parks Service website at http://www.nps.gov/climatefriendlyparks/