What we do

Spending time in nature—days, hours, or just a few minutes—enriches our lives. It makes us feel rejuvenated. Healthier. Happier. 

Our mission is to create parks and protect land for people, ensuring healthy, livable communities for generations to come. Every park, playground, and public space we help create is an open invitation for everyone to explore, wonder, discover, and play. 

We’re proud to say that we’ve been connecting communities to the outdoors—and to each other—since 1972. Today, millions of Americans live within a 10-minute walk of a park or natural area we’ve helped create, and countless more visit every year. 

How we do it:

PLAN
We bring the whole community together to identify and prioritize land for parks and conservation—and chart a course to protect and sustain it. Decision-makers rely on our rigorous data analysis and innovative mapping techniques to make the most of their resources. 

FUND
We help craft measures and pass legislation to secure funding for parks and conservation. Our cutting-edge research empowers advocates to make the case for parks and open space in their communities. 

PROTECT
From pocket parks to vast backcountry escapes, our real estate experts help partners acquire and safeguard land for the public. We structure, negotiate, and execute conservation transactions that benefit the whole community.  

CREATE
We engage communities in designing and building innovative parks that foster a strong sense of place and connection to nature. We teach stewardship and management techniques to ensure new parks are used, maintained, and loved well after opening day.

There’s lots more to do—and you can help.