There’s something so majestic about a massive multi-day trip to the national parks. I think one of the peaks in life has to be the high of taking a road trip with your friends to explore somewhere rugged and unreal to the point it takes your breath away.
image credit: parksproject.us
It’s the beauty of enjoying our planet- our world- completely off the grid, untied to our phones, and feeling truly free.
For Keith Eshelman, that very feeling formed the core mission behind a movement: to help restore our environment and heal the parks that so give us humans a sense of healing.
image credit: parksproject.us
Healing What Heals Us
“Ten years ago we witnessed firsthand the environmental challenges facing our parklands, so we rolled up our sleeves to volunteer and pitch in to restore the habitat,” says Eshelman. That action later built up into a much bigger momentum, forming Parks Project.
“Since then we’ve grown into a global movement, partnering with numerous park conservancies and completing countless park projects with habitat restoration emerging as our signature endeavor,” says Eshelman, co-founder of Parks Project.
Meet Parks Project at parksproject.us
image credit: Jakob Lilja-Ruiz for Parks Project @portra_papi
Parks Project is more than just a project, and also more than just a brand. It truly is a movement- fueled by the desire to leave nature better than we found it, and the hope for the future of our planet. With an array of various apparel and accessories, Parks Project makes fashion more than just a piece of fabric, but something that carries meaning and also empowers initiatives such as restoration projects, support visitor programs to ensure the safety of national parks, and teach the world.
“We are all just stewards for the next generation, just holding place so we can pass it down hopefully in a better state.”
-Keith Eshelman, co-founder of Parks Project
image credit: parksproject.us
Creating Real Solutions in Real-Time
While the pressing problem of how nature is diminishing in our modern world is more well known, the issues that parks face are lesser so.
“Problems exist with parks being short in funding, lacking volunteers, and needing more educated allies, warriors, and caregivers. In some cases it involves both reversing the negative effects we’ve made, like removing invasive species, and encouraging the propagation of healthy native contributive species to re-balance the natural ecosystem to a healthy state. Balance.
In other cases, it's preparing for climate change and supporting projects that will be a part of nature driven climate resilience programs. And across all situations, it involves working to create access for all humans to be active participants in getting the healing benefits of time in our common grounds,” explains Eshelman.
image credit: Jakob Lilja-Ruiz for Parks Project @portra_papi
Since its creation, Parks Project has proudly “worked on hundreds of projects and will complete thousands in [their] first decade of existence.”
It’s beautiful to see that even such daunting challenges are capable of being tackled and effectively being solved for the better of our parks.
image credit: Jakob Lilja-Ruiz for Parks Project @portra_papi
Adding Style to Sustainability
At just a simple scroll through Parks Project’s website, there’s a wide range of vintage-inspired, retro-hip shirts, hoodies, and goodies that appeal to the granola lifestyle but also the contemporary fashion-forward streetwear style. All in all, it’s exactly what you can wear around casually, but feel proud to wear to show your support for an important cause.
“We started with just t-shirts, but then we realized we could bring the parks into your home, or make camp goods so you could bring parks with you. All these at-the-time seemingly risky moves contributed to the uniqueness of Parks Project and our success history to date,” says Eshelman.
image credit: parksproject.us
“And since those early days, continuous improvement, or being 1% better each day, has been at the root of our success as we have always stayed one step ahead of the curve in creating progressive graphics, mixed with category expansions, and on trend collaborations to show how we can all do cool things together to benefit parks.”
Without further ado, below are our absolute favorite picks from Parks Project that you can check out to support an important mission and make a statement:
A Simple Homage To The Great Big Sur
It’s the kind of design that feels like a dream come true.
Shop the Big Sur Bridges Puff Print Pocket Tee here.
image credit: parksproject.us
There’s nothing that feels more like a surreal moment than driving down the Pacific Coast Highway, and Parks Project captures that beautiful moment in a stylish graphic design.
This oversized, blocky tee features a sick design featuring the outline of the PCH with “Big Sur” in a cool blocky font. As always, Parks Project keeps its promise of quality with a soft and comfortable 100% cotton fabric.
image credit: parksproject.us
Keeping It Urban and Hip
This is the ultimate graphic tee- something playful, but not too overdone to the point it’ll become boring.
Shop the San Francisco Parks Alliance Park Lovers Pocket Tee here.
image credit: parksproject.us
The hipness of this shirt perfectly captures San Francisco's spirit- the bustling city life with the rolling hills, and the diverse, eclectic clash of the busy and the fun.
I love that this shirt is a collaboration with SF Parks Alliance, San Francisco’s only city-wide parks nonprofit. Every purchase from this collection will benefit SF Parks Alliance.
image credit: parksproject.us
Staying Cozy and Cutting-Edge
Who said winter clothes have to be boring? Add some flair to your fleece!
Shop the Acadia Waves Trail High Pile Fleece here.
image credit: parksproject.us
If you love going to those nature hikes and sightseeing at the national parks, you know how cold it gets at night. The Acadia Waves Trail High Pile Fleece is made to be worn during those unforgettable adventures and of course, all throughout the colder months.
image credit: parksproject.us
I am completely in love with the cool mountain-inspired print; it feels so effortlessly cool and not too trendy at the same time. Plus, it’s oh-so-thick that you’re going to feel all warmed up and toasty!
Fuzzy Socks For The Win
Who doesn’t love a good pair of fuzzy socks?
image credit: parksproject.us
Shop the Yellowstone Geysers Cozy Socks here.
These ultra-soft-and-snuggly are literally a dream. As a fuzzy socks enthusiast, I can enthusiastically say that these genuinely might be the softest socks I have ever felt.
image credit: parksproject.us
I’ve gathered quite a collection of fuzzy socks over the years, but these socks are one of the very few that are able to truly hold up and stay just as soft as they first were. Needless to say, I am obsessed.
The Ultimate Throw-On Hoodie
Once a hoodie person, forever a hoodie person.
image credit: parksproject.us
Shop the Joshua Tree Puff Print Hoodie here.
There is something so much more comforting and easy about wearing a hoodie over any other kind of outerwear, and I stand by that. With that being said, it was no surprise that this hoodie caught my attention, but I didn’t truly anticipate how much I would come to love this hoodie!
image credit: parksproject.us
This pays tribute to the iconic Joshua Tree National Park, and with pops of teal and sunshine yellow, this black hoodie is the perfect everyday essential to keep around.
image credit: parksproject.us
Keep Up With Parks Project
Want to stay connected with Parks Project and support them in their mission in bettering our world? Find them on Instagram at @parksproject.
