Nature Valley® Celebrates More than $1.8 Million Donated in Support of America's National Parks

MINNEAPOLIS, April 22, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Nature Valley expands its dedication to national park preservation by adding a new park to Nature Valley Trail View, its street-view style digital platform that encourages outdoor exploration and education. On April 25, the addition of Sequoia National Park to NatureValleyTrailView.com will expand the hub's park count to four, enabling nature lovers to enjoy more than 375 miles of panoramic views and interactive guides to some of America's iconic parks: Grand Canyon, Great Smoky Mountains, Sequoia and Yellowstone.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130422/NY99121LOGO )

The NatureValleyTrailView.com expansion is timed to National Parks Week, when admission to many of our national parks is free from April 22-26, 2013, and will include:

• A new park: The addition of approximately 50 miles of footage in Sequoia National Park
• Mobile access:  Basic access to Nature Valley Trail View via mobile devices, including downloadable PDFs of trail and park information
• Expanded information: New details about Nature Valley's national park preservation efforts, in the form of videos and trail extras throughout the platform

The result of boots-on-the-ground fieldwork, Nature Valley Trail View enables outdoor enthusiasts everywhere to enjoy hundreds of miles of virtual hiking and access to exclusive content. The platform is the result of ongoing parks preservation work by the Nature Valley brand, and has helped raise awareness for its signature cause – national parks restoration projects. Over the past three years, Nature Valley has donated more than $1.3 million in support of America's national parks; in 2013, an additional flat donation of $500,000 will be made to the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA), raising the four-year total to more than $1.8 million.

"Nature Valley is about inspiring consumers to get outside and enjoy what nature has to offer," said Maria Carolina Comings, Associate Marketing Manager for Nature Valley. "Our national parks are America's treasures that must be preserved and protected, and we hope to help raise awareness of the parks through Nature Valley Trail View and our ongoing restoration efforts. Through technology, we can help make the parks accessible to all, and encourage outdoor exploration for years to come."

Nature Valley and the National Parks
Nature Valley is a long-standing supporter of the physical preservation of America's parks through its Preserve the Parks program. Launched in April 2010, the program supports the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) and is designed to encourage Americans to get outside and visit the parks, while raising funds for their preservation. Specifically, the program has funded restoration projects in support of several of our nation's parks, including: Acadia, Biscayne, Everglades, Grand Canyon, Grand Teton, Great Smoky Mountains, Joshua Tree and Yellowstone. In 2013, Nature Valley is adding two new parks to its roster of preservation projects, Voyageurs National Park and the Appalachian National Scenic Trail. For more information, visit www.NatureValleyTrailView.com; www.PreserveTheParks.com, www.Facebook.com/NatureValley or twitter.com/NatureValley.

Nature Valley Trail View
Nature Valley Trail View debuted at South by Southwest Interactive (SXSWi) in 2012 and at launch, represented many firsts for the brand and street-view style technology. The platform was the first large-scale application of experiential, street-view style camera technology to the national parks. The result of this ground-breaking effort is more than 375 miles of park trails stitched together from a 360-degree camera's eleven lenses for one immersive view.

Bringing Nature Valley Trail View to life was a collective effort involving many Nature Valley agency partners, including McCann Erickson New York, Traction 3D, Your Majesty and editors from Backpacker Magazine, who helped guide trail explorations.

About Nature Valley^®
Nature Valley created the granola bar category in 1975 and brings great taste to active consumers looking for wholesome snacks. Nature Valley offers nine great-tasting granola snacks: Crunchy Granola Bars, Sweet & Salty Nut Granola Bars, Chewy Trail Mix Bars, Granola Thins, Yogurt Granola Bars, Roasted Nut Crunch Bars, Granola Nut Clusters, Protein Bars and Soft-Baked Oatmeal Squares. In addition to supporting the National Parks Conservation Association, Nature Valley is the Official Granola Bar of the PGA TOUR, Champions Tour and Nationwide Tour, the United States Ski and Snowboarding Association, Nature Valley NASTAR, Cross Country Ski Areas Association, Vail Resorts and Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday. In addition, Nature Valley is the title sponsor of the Nature Valley First Tee Open at Pebble Beach and the Nature Valley Grand Prix.

About National Parks Conservation Association
Since 1919, NPCA has been the leading voice of the American people in protecting and enhancing our National Park System. NPCA, its more than 750,000 members and supporters, and many partners work together to protect the park system and preserve our nation's natural, historical, and cultural heritage for generations to come. For more information, please visit: www.npca.org.

SOURCE Nature Valley