The mission of Parks in Focus is to connect under-privileged youth with nature through the art of photography. We hope to
instill in participants a sustainable appreciation for public lands and natural resources by introducing them to national
parks, providing them with opportunities to encounter nature in a hands-on educational setting, and giving them the equipment
and instruction to explore and focus on the natural world through the lens of a camera. Ultimately, we aim to help create a
new generation of citizen stewards who will carry this experience with them.
Since 2004, Parks in Focus has been partially funded with generous grants from the Bert W. Martin Foundation, enabling the
Udall Foundation to hire environmental educators to accompany participants, hold web classes following the trips to give
participants the opportunity to build their own web pages illustrating their experience, and expand Parks in Focus into New
Jersey and Michigan with the help of Udall Scholars.
Udall Scholarships are awarded to college students who intend to pursue careers related to the environment or to Native
American and Alaska Natives who intend to pursue careers related to tribal public policy or Native American health care. In
2005, the Foundation hired the first Udall Scholar summer intern, Marcos Orozco. Marcos assisted with Parks in Focus and served
as the trip naturalist. The following year, Marcos ran the first Parks in Focus trip outside of Arizona in his home state of
New Jersey.
The Foundation envisions a natural partnership with current and future Udall Scholars, who care passionately about the
environment and environmental education. We hope to continue to expand Parks in Focus throughout the United States by using
the Arizona trip to give scholar alumni hands-on experience running a Parks in Focus trip, and providing oversight and funding
as they lead Parks in Focus excursions in their home states.
In 2007 alone, Parks in Focus touched the lives of more than 80 youth, through trips in Arizona, New Jersey, and Michigan, and
four one-day programs as part of the Udall Legacy Bus Tour.