Apple Launches National Parks Initiative

Apple has announced a new initiative that will help its customers support and enjoy America’s national parks.

From Aug. 24 through 31, the company is donating $1 to the National Park Foundation for every purchase made with Apple Pay at any Apple Store, online at apple.com or through the Apple Store app in the U.S.

The fundraising will assist the Foundation’s work in protecting national parks through projects like habitat restoration and historic preservation, as well as support programs that aim to educate and engage the next generation of park stewards, such as Open OutDoors for Kids.

The App Store will also spotlight a collection of some of the best apps to help users explore the country’s national parks.

“America’s national parks are treasures everyone should experience, and we’re proud to support them again this month by donating a dollar for every purchase made with Apple Pay at one of our stores,” Apple’s CEO Tim Cook said in a press release. “These awe-inspiring places are our national inheritance, and Apple is doing our part to pass them on to future generations — just as extraordinary, beautiful and wild as we found them.”

Apple Watch users can also get in on the action. On Sept. 1, any Apple Watch wearers around the world who complete a walk, run or wheelchair workout of 50 minutes or more will earn an Activity app award and stickers for Messages inspired by national parks. The 50 minutes is in celebration of Redwood National Park’s 50th anniversary this year.

And there’s a good chance plenty of people will participate in the challenge. In May, it was reported that Apple led the charge in the wearable band market during the first quarter of 2018, shipping 3.8 million Apple Watches during the first three months of the year. In fact, smartwatches made up 80 percent of the wearable band revenue, which is up from 74 percent in the first quarter of 2017.