John P. DeGrazio Yosemite Ambassador

Yosemite National Park named me, John P. DeGrazio Yosemite Ambassador in 2016 to help celebrate the National Park Service Centennial. Since then, I have been sharing photos, stories, and social media posts to help promote the 100 year anniversary of the National Park Service. Yesterday, I received another honor from Yosemite. They named me the Yosemite Ambassador of the Week on their Instagram and Facebook pages.

National Park Week starts tomorrow! Join us in the park or share your love of parks on social media using #FindYourPark and #NPS100. #Repost from this week’s #YosemiteAmbassador John DeGrazio @yexplore. ・・・ Cathedral Rocks & Spires reflecting in the Merced River. #yosemiteambassador #findyourpark #nps100 National Park Week kicks off tomorrow with free entrance to Yosemite and all the national Parks for everyone to celebrate the NPS Centennial.

A photo posted by Yosemite National Park (@yosemitenps) on Apr 15, 2016 at 10:46am PDT

What is really exciting is this announcement came ahead of National Park Week that begins tomorrow. From April 16-24, everyone can celebrate the National Parks Centennial with free admission into every national park. There will also be an Earth Day celebration of the legacy of John Muir in Yosemite Valley next weekend. REI is planning some activities in Yosemite Valley Saturday April 23, and I plan to attend with my family.

You can click on the link below to visit the Yosemite National Park Facebook Page for more information about the celebration.

I was selected as a Yosemite National Park Ambassador for my volunteer work with the Yosemite Gateway Partners Organization where I am currently serving as president. Yosemite Gateway Partners is a partnership of government agencies, non-profit organizations, tribes, individuals and businesses that acknowledge the interdependence of Yosemite National Park and the surrounding communities, and collaborate on and address issues of regional importance to create sustainable cultural, natural and economic prosperity.

So if you see me in Yosemite, please stop me to say hello. I’d love to share a little bit about the park with you. I am also excited to announce I have also created a speaking series program titled “Fostering Yosemite Stewardship in the Digital Age”. This is part of the National Park Centennial Celebration, and I will speak at venues across California about planning responsible adventures in Yosemite and beyond beginning in June. Some locations will be at the Mt. Sage Ecosummit in June and REI Bay Area stores beginning in July. More information will follow soon, and I will create an events page for those who follow this blog.

Here is the YExplore John P. DeGrazio Yosemite Ambassador Bio Page.

Check out our YExplore In the News Page for articles featuring our local Yosemite small business. You may also like to read: https://www.yexplore.com/yexplore-celebrates-10-years-in-yosemite-national-park/.