The National Wildlife Federation’s 13th annual “Great American Campout” is a summer-long celebration of camping as a way to connect with nature and wildlife. Free and open to the public of all ages, the initiative encourages camping throughout the summer and into autumn 2017.
Keystone RV Company, Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park Camp-Resorts, and RVTrader.com have joined the initiative as new partners for 2017. Everyone who pledges to get outside and camp this summer will be entered to win a Bullet Colt RV or a week-long stay at a Jellystone Resort (plus a $500 gift card for travel expenses and a $250 Jellystone Park gift card). RV Trader will provide specially-designed content on the Great American Campout website that will include environmentally-friendly RV camping tips.
If 150,000 people commit to making the Great American Campout pledge, 5,000 regionally-specific native trees will be donated to the National Wildlife Federation’s “Trees for Wildlife” program, which enlists youth groups to make a commitment to plant and maintain the trees.
Jeff Probst – host of CBS’ Survivor – serves as this year’s celebrity spokesperson. “It is very important to me that my kids have a healthy relationship with nature and that they know how to survive if they were ever stranded,” stated Probst, a wildlife fan and camping expert. “Thanks to my job on Survivor, our family has enjoyed some amazing camping adventures together where we can unplug, reconnect with each other, and enjoy nature. When we’re back home we do the same thing. We will be out there this summer and hope you will too.”
The National Wildlife Federation’s website has a directory of public Great American Campout events, camping tips, lists of activities and recipes, sweepstakes rules and prizing information. Registration is free.
Campers are encouraged to take selfies of themselves camping (“Campies”) and submit them to NWF’s Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram accounts using the hashtags #campie and #GreatAmericanCampout to share their experiences and create an extended community of participants year after year.
