America's Weatherman Accepts APEX Award on
NBC's TODAY for His Commitment to Celebrating and Promoting Our
National Parks
WASHINGTON, May 16, 2024
/PRNewswire/ -- National Park Trust is excited to announce
that 14-time Emmy Award-winning journalist Al Roker has received the 2024 APEX Award. Since
2009, this national award has honored an individual or group that
has made extraordinary efforts to enhance the awareness and
appreciation of our country's public parks, lands, and waters.
National Park Trust announces that 14-time
Emmy Award-winning journalist Al
Roker has received the 2024 APEX Award.
The 2024 APEX award recognizes Roker for his passion for and
dedication to our parks demonstrated through his nearly three
decades of impactful storytelling on TODAY. Roker's spotlight on
our national parks has inspired viewers of all ages and
backgrounds to appreciate and explore our cherished treasures.
Additionally, he has utilized his national platform to raise
awareness of significant climate change issues that impact our
public lands and waters.
Roker covered the 2016 centennial of the National Park Service
and in 2022 he interviewed President Barack
Obama on his lifelong passion for our national parks and
commitment to addressing climate change. He has shared on TODAY a
memorable camping adventure at Sequoia
National Park with his "city kid" daughter Leila, a surprise
trip to the Grand Canyon for three Brooklyn students, and most recently
highlighted the National Park Service's Junior Ranger program while visiting Shenandoah
National Park. Roker has captivated audiences and championed the
National Park Trust's mission – to preserve parks today and create
park stewards for tomorrow.
"Al Roker embodies the values of
the American Park Experience Award," said Grace Lee, Executive Director, National Park
Trust. "He enthusiastically and passionately encourages kids,
including his own, to discover and explore our public lands and
waters – and he has demonstrated an exceptional commitment to the
stewardship of our country's parks and the environment."
"I am so honored to receive the American Park Experience
Award. Our National Parks celebrate every facet of American
life. History. Nature. Diversity and Freedom. There is no Nation
without our National Parks," said Al
Roker.
Past recipients of the American Park Experience Award include
Filmmaker Jimmy Chin; Park Ranger Shelton
Johnson; Hydro Flask for their Parks for All program; former
U.S. Secretary of the Interior Sally
Jewell; former U.S. Secretary of the Interior, U.S. Senator,
and current U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Ken Salazar; and filmmaker
Ken Burns and screenwriter
Dayton Duncan.
Roker was presented the 2024 APEX award on May 16, 2024, on-air in Studio 1A at NBC's TODAY
by National Park Trust's Executive Director Grace Lee. To learn more about the American Park
Experience Award, visit:
parktrust.org/american-park-experience-award.
ABOUT NATIONAL PARK TRUST
Our mission is to preserve
parks today and create park stewards for tomorrow. Since 1983, we
have partnered with the National Park Service to acquire many of
the "missing pieces" of our national parks, benefiting 55 national
park sites across the country. Our national youth education and
family initiatives, including our Buddy
Bison, College Ambassador and Military Family Programs, and
National Kids to Parks Day, support tens of thousands of children
annually and cultivate future park stewards. We believe that our
public parks, lands, and waters should be cared for, enjoyed by,
and preserved by all for current and future generations. Find out
more at parktrust.org.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Ivan
Levin at 540.818.5818 or ivan@parktrust.org.
View original content to download
multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/national-park-trust-honors-nbc-todays-al-roker-with-2024-american-park-experience-apex-award-302148102.html
SOURCE National Park Trust