G RAND CANYON CONSERVANCY HELPS G RAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK CELEBRATE ITS CENTENNIAL s 100 Ye After 100 years, Grand Canyon National Park continues to provide a space for all visitors to connect with the outdoors. COVER STORY {by karen werner}

rs It’s taken millions of years to make, and 100 years to preserve. On Feb. 26, Grand Canyon Conservancy will celebrate Founder’s Day, the 100 th anniversary of Grand Canyon’s designation as a national park. One of the world’s premier attractions, Grand Canyon National Park draws some 6.25 million people to Arizona each year to view the incredible steep-sided chasm etched by the Colorado River. That’s a lot of people. With all those visitors – not to mention wind, water and time – taking a toll on this treasure, there is a growing urgency to protect Grand Canyon National Park. Working side by side with the park to do this is Grand Canyon Conservancy (GCC), the nonprofit charged with preserving the park’s hiking trails, protecting the canyon’s wildlife and providing educational programs to the public. “We are the official nonprofit partner of Grand Canyon National Park, meaning that we help to raise private funds and we also operate retail shops within the park as well as guided educational opportunities about the natural and cultural history of the region,” said Alysa Ojeda, GCC marketing manager. “We have an incredible army of troops helping to protect the canyon for future generations.” The nonprofit’s roots stretch back to 1932, when naturalist Eddie McKee founded the Grand Canyon Natural History Association. A ranger working on the South Rim at the time, McKee recognized the need for a park partner that would support Photo by W. Tyson Joye FEBRUARY 2019 | FRONTDOORS MEDIA 21