April is State Parks Month at Whole Earth Provision Co.

Katy Schaffer, 512-389-8046, katy.schaffer@tpwd.texas.gov

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AUSTIN — For the fifth year in a row, Whole Earth Provision Co. is stepping up to support Texas State Parks.

This Texas-based travel, adventure and nature store is hosting “April is Texas State Parks Month” at its locations across the state. All proceeds fund state parks’ day-to-day operational expenses, including enhanced visitor programs and facilities maintenance.

“We are blessed in Texas with an excellent state park system that provides an unrivaled range of outdoor adventures,” says Jack Jones, Whole Earth Provision Company founder and lifelong Texas state park advocate. “These magical places belong to the citizens of Texas and are available for all of us to visit and enjoy.”

Throughout April, customers at the nine Whole Earth Provision Co. locations in Austin, Dallas, Southlake, Houston and San Antonio will have the option to donate to Texas State Parks at check-out counters. For every $20 or more donated, Whole Earth will give customers a $5 state park gift card, redeemable for park entrance fees and merchandise at state park stores. Customers who donate $30 or more will receive a pair of SmartWool outdoor light socks and the $5 Texas State Parks Gift Card. Finally, if the customer donates $50 or more, they will receive a multifunctional BUFF® headpiece, a pair of SmartWool socks and a $5 Texas State Parks gift card.

In addition, state park rangers will be handing out Texas State Park Guides at all nine locations from 2-4 p.m. on April 10. They will also offer information about the various activities people can enjoy in state parks, including rock climbing, horseback riding, mountain biking, picnicking and hiking.

Most urbanites are closer to a state park than they might imagine. There are 12 state parks within an hour’s drive of Austin, nine within an hour’s drive of San Antonio, eight within a 60-minute drive of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, 11 within 90 minutes of Southlake and seven parks an hour or less drive from Houston. Mild weather and blooming wildflowers make spring the ideal time to visit any one of these parks.

“We depend on public-private partnerships with businesses such as Whole Earth Provision Co. to provide additional and much-needed funding to operate our state parks,” says Texas State Parks Director, Brent Leisure. “The month-long promotion at one of the state’s premier outdoor retailers helps us create a park experience that Texans expect and deserve.”

In the last four years, Whole Earth Provision Company has donated over $100,000 to Texas State Parks. These funds are a direct result of donations received during Texas State Parks Month, as well as from ticket sales from the Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour, which Whole Earth has sponsored for the past decade.

In addition to these efforts to support Texas State Parks, Whole Earth has also supplied several prizes for the Texas Parks and Wildlife TV show’s 30th anniversary contest. The prizes include a HERO4 Silver Edition GoPro® video camera and $300 in gift certificates. For more information, including how to enter the contest, go to www.tpwd.texas.gov/tv30.

Texas State Parks provide an affordable and healthy way to spend time with family and friends. Children 12 and younger get in free. For more information about visiting Texas State Parks, visit: http://www.texasstateparks.org.