Udall Foundation

About Udall Foundation

The mission of the Stewart L. Udall Parks in Focus® Program (Parks in Focus® or PIF) is to connect youth to nature and our Nation’s public lands through photography and outdoor learning. Parks in Focus® honors the legacy of Stewart L. Udall, whose career had a significant impact on the stewardship of our Nation’s public lands and natural resources.

In 1999, the Udall Foundation piloted a simple idea: put cameras in the hands of middle school youth and lead them on action-packed adventures to visit, photograph, and explore some of our Nation’s most inspiring landscapes and celebrated public lands. Flash forward to today: through the support and partnership of Western National Parks Association and others, Parks in Focus® now reaches hundreds of kids annually through its Foundation-Led Programs and Partner-Led Initiatives that occur throughout the year, across multiple states, and in settings ranging from schoolyards and city park systems to iconic national park sites.

Tucson, Arizona, is home to the Udall Foundation’s flagship Parks in Focus® program, a year-round initiative that engages hundreds of Tucson youth from our partner schools and youth organizations in hands-on learning and outdoor exploration against the backdrop of the Sonoran Desert. Activities take place in-school and afterschool, on the weekends, and throughout the summer. Our outdoor classrooms range from schoolyards and city parks to some of southern Arizona’s most spectacular national parks and public lands. Sites frequently visited include Agua Caliente Park, Saguaro National Park, Chiricahua National Monument, Tumacácori National Historical Park, Tucson Botanical Gardens, Tohono Chul, Sweetwater Wetlands, the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, and several sites throughout Coronado National Forest. Whether the activity is 30 minutes or several days, students learn about local flora and fauna of the Sonoran Desert as they explore and photograph places they have generally never been before. A small, but vibrant community of volunteers support our local activities and help enrich our students’ overall Parks in Focus® experience.