A Natural Legacy: The Friends of Algonquin Park

A Natural Legacy: The Friends of Algonquin Park

In 1983, a group of like-minded individuals created a volunteer charitable organization to further the educational and interpretive programs at one of Canada’s most beloved and cherished natural institutions, Algonquin Provincial Park.

This legacy continues to inspire, educate, and promote the conservation of the natural world today. This organization is called: The Friends of Algonquin Park.

The contributions of The Friends of Algonquin Park to Algonquin Park have been significant over its nearly 40-year history. The Friends have enhanced and promoted educational programs available to Park visitors, like hosting special education events, developing interpretive trails, or securing funding for wildlife research studies. These things don’t just happen; many activities that Park visitors enjoy simply would not be possible if it weren’t for the dedicated work of The Friends of Algonquin Park.

The role of The Friends of Algonquin Park has grown and evolved over the years, leading to an incredible list of accomplishments and triumphs.

If you have ever had the pleasure of visiting Algonquin Park, then you likely benefitted from the contributions of The Friends of Algonquin Park. Whether it was walking an interpretive trail, getting information at the Visitor Centre, strolling the exhibits at the Logging Museum, participating in an Experience Algonquin workshop, or reading one of the many specific Park publications to learn something more about the Park.

Algonquin Park’s natural and cultural history is bountiful, and The Friends’ mission is to help everyone who visits learn about its flora and fauna and its long cultural history. By learning about Algonquin Park’s diverse history and its vast ecological fabric, visitors learn to appreciate it and therefore value it. The Friends of Algonquin Park encourages everyone to be a steward of this incredible place; once someone understands how the natural world works and appreciates the history of a place like Algonquin Park, they become advocates for it.

Thanks to The Friends of Algonquin Park, hundreds of thousands of resource materials, maps and books about Algonquin Park have been published. Historical documents have been preserved, Group Education programs have inspired young people to learn about the natural world, and new trails have provided generations of visitors with countless outdoor experiences.

The Friends of Algonquin Park invite you to join them as they continue to foster unforgettable adventures for visitors while also upholding their commitment to enhancing the park visitor’s knowledge of Ontario’s oldest and most treasured Provincial Park.

If you’d like to learn more and support their efforts, visit The Friends of Algonquin Park at algonquinpark.on.ca or email friends@algonquinpark.on.ca

Make a donation at algonquinpark.on.ca/donate or call 613 637-2828 ext 239

ALGONQUINPARK.ON.CA