The recent donation is part of the co-op’s partnership with the National Park Foundation.
REI Co-op is investing over $250,000 this year to support all-women fire crews in America’s national parks. The donation will be made to one of REI Co-op’s nonprofit partners, the National Park Foundation (NPF).
Each year, the co-op donates 10% of profits of America the Beautiful passes sold in its stores to the NPF. For 2021, profits from those sales will support women working on national park wildland fire crews.
This year’s donation will help fund women’s fire corps crews (including training) “as part of a concentrated effort to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion within the National Park Service’s wildland fire program,” the retailer wrote in a press release.
“Protecting public lands has become ever more important as climate change continues to bring extreme conditions and worsening wildfires,” said Marc Berejka, REI’s director of community advocacy and impact. “Supporting all-women fire crews will build capacity for overall firefighting efforts, while creating more opportunities for women in the field.”
The donation will specifically go to two wildland fire crews in Yosemite and Grand Teton National Parks.
